ITANAGAR, 10 Mar: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday said that the central government is capable enough to tackle the border issue between India and China, and is accordingly giving more thrust to infrastructure development.
The process of building adequate infrastructure, particularly border connectivity, is being speeded up in the Northeastern state. Work on the 2000-km-long Arunachal Frontier Highway has already started in certain sections and work is going on in full swing for construction of the Sela tunnel, located at a height of 13,700 feet.
Responding to a question from Congress MLA Ninong Ering, the chief minister said that the Centre has increased the presence of army and paramilitary personnel on the border with China after the recent standoff between both neighbours.
Referring to the recent face-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers at Yangtse in Tawang district, Khandu said, “India is not as before and the situation has changed after the BJP-led NDA came to power at the Centre.”
Yangtse is located in Mukto constituency, represented by Khandu in the assembly.
“Earlier, there was no infrastructure in the border areas. Now the scenario has changed with more impetus on strengthening border infrastructure in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is capable enough to tackle such a situation,” Khandu asserted.
Indian and Chinese troops clashed along the line of actual control in the Tawang sector on 9 December last year, and the face-off resulted in “minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides,” the Indian Army had said.
The clash near Yangtse took place amid the over 30-month border standoff between the two sides in eastern Ladakh.
The chief minister said that, because of Modi, the voice of the people on the border issue can now be heard, which was not the case earlier.
“Previously, after a minister visited the Northeastern state, the next day China used to protest. Now such protests are not seen even after the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu to the state in recent times,” the chief minister added. (PTI)
