* * *As part of “one border one force” policy, the 3488-km LAC will now have some 56 battalions deployed against China as the frontier force backed by local Indian Army formations and then the Army reserve. The ITBP is a specialized mountain force deployed in border states on heights more than 12000 feet and in sub-zero temperatures. The plans will be created by the district administration with the help of gram panchayats. Prime Minister Modi’s decisions are a sea change from the past century when border roads were not encouraged lest the Chinese Army walks in. The decision to improve border road infrastructure was taken by the Atal Behari Vajpayee government despite reservations from the Indian Army, the report said.

Source: Hindustan Times February 17, 2023 00:10 UTC