Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launches BRO manual to streamline strategic road construction
New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday released the ‘Guide on Preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for Road Infrastructure Projects’ prepared by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), in South Block, New Delhi.
The BRO is entrusted with the construction and maintenance of highways and strategic roads in some of the most remote and challenging terrains of the country, and the DPRs serve as a comprehensive document covering engineering design, construction methodology, execution strategy, quality control and cost analysis.
“BRO has developed the guide to provide a concise, comprehensive and uniform reference encompassing specifications, standards, guidelines & procedures for DPR preparation. It is intended to assist engineers at every stage of project formulation, whether for new construction or upgradation of existing road infrastructure,” the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in its press note.
The guide aims to address the issues of time and cost overruns arising from inadequately prepared DPRs.
“It is expected to significantly enhance the quality and consistency of the reports, ensuring timely execution of projects & contributing to improved strategic connectivity and socio-economic development of border regions through systematic planning, technical accuracy, quality assurance & cost-effectiveness,” it added.
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways Secretary V. Umashankar, DG Border Roads Lt Gen Raghu Srinivasan, and other senior civil and military officials were present on the occasion.
Notably, earlier in December, Rajnath Singh dedicated to the nation 125 strategically significant infrastructure projects of BRO, reiterating the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s commitment to keep strengthening the border infrastructure.
Describing connectivity tools as lifelines for security, economy, and disaster management, Rajnath Singh had said, “There are numerous benefits of robust infrastructure in border areas. It ensures military mobility, smooth transportation of logistics, an increase in tourism & employment opportunities and, most importantly, stronger faith in development, democracy and the government.”
The 125 projects launched on December 7 are spread across two Union Territories — Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir — and seven states — Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Mizoram.
These include 28 roads, 93 bridges and four other projects, all completed at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore, the highest-value inaugurations in the BRO’s history.