ITANAGAR,

Border Roads Organisation’s Project Vartak on Thursday celebrated its 66th Raising Day and reaffirmed its commitment towards strengthening strategic border infrastructure and maintaining year-round connectivity in remote and high-altitude areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

Project Vartak, which currently maintains around 2,066 km of strategically important roads, plays a key role in ensuring operational preparedness along the international border, besides supporting socio-economic development in remote frontier regions, a Defence spokesperson said in a statement.

Originally raised as Project Tusker on May 7, 1960, it became the first BRO project to undertake road construction activities in the country.

In 1963, it was renamed as Project Vartak, Defence spokesperson Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said.

During 1964-65, the project undertook the challenging task of improving the Bhalukpong-Tenga-Tawang axis, including formation cutting works connecting Bomdila with Sela and surfacing works from Bhalukpong to Rupa under difficult terrain and harsh weather conditions.

At present, Project Vartak is responsible for the construction, development and maintenance of strategic roads in Sonitpur district of Assam and West Kameng and Tawang districts of Arunachal Pradesh, the statement said.

Lt Col Rawat said 67 roads with 119 ongoing works are currently in progress within the Project Area of Responsibility. The project is also maintaining 1,309 km of roads and carrying out snow clearance operations over 550 km in extreme climatic conditions. (Source: PTI)