Union Minister of State (MoS) for Tourism Ajay Bhatt while participating in the two-day conference of tourism and culture ministers in Guwahati claimed that the border infrastructure in Arunachal is being upgraded. The minister said that the BJP government at the Centre is giving importance to the rail, road and telecom sectors in the entire Northeast. There is a vast difference between the ground reality and what the minister is claiming. In the context of Arunachal, no major changes have been witnessed, especially in terms of border infrastructure. The situation especially remains critical along the Sino-India border.
Despite tall claims by the BJP leaders, the border infrastructure along the Sino-India border is still very poor. The majority of the border villages still do not have proper roads, hospitals, electricity and telecom connectivity. The ambitious Frontier Highway, the pet project of union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, which aims to connect the villages along the Sino-India border, is yet to take off. Because of the lack of basic amenities, there is large-scale migration of people happening from rural areas to urban centres. In some areas, entire villages along the border have been abandoned, thereby posing a national security threat. The BJP government should concentrate more on delivering its promises. At present their tall claims in the media are quite a contrast to the situation on the ground.