Pushpita Das replies: India’s border areas are plagued by poor accessibility, inadequate infrastructure, depressed economic growth, rampant poverty and a sense of insecurity among the people. The development of border areas has therefore been envisaged as an important element in border management. Towards this end, the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) was initiated as early as 1987 along the India-Pakistan border to ‘meet the special development needs of the people living in remote and inaccessible areas situated near the international border’.
In his latest address to the Indian Council of World Affairs on India's regional policy, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran reflected that the government had a long-term vision of an integrated South Asia, in which geographical boundaries would become irrelevant. With this in mind, New Delhi has put in place a number of measures to help connect with other countries in the region. Significantly, the Foreign Secretary's speech highlighted India's changing policies towards China.
Building Road Infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control: Hurdles and Constraints
Though the target date for completing the 73 envisaged roads is 2012, only nine have so far been completed.