Chinese intrusion stops dev work

The Jammu and Kashmir government in October last year had to stop constructing a passenger shed near the international border after objections from infiltrating Chinese troops.

The Jammu and Kashmir government in October last year had to stop constructing a passenger shed near the international border after objections from infiltrating Chinese troops.

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The Chinese troops had stepped into Indian territory in the Demchok area of Ladakh to register their protest. Construction was stopped on the directions of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and army.

Earlier too in November 2009 road construction under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) had to be stopped after the Chinese side objected.

The union home ministry issued a circular to the Jammu and Kashmir chief secretary, asking the state government to seek clearance both from the defence and external affairs ministries before undertaking work in the Demchok area, 300 km south-east of Leh.

“Chinese troops objected to the construction work last October. The matter was brought before both the ITBP and Army, manning the border, but they directed us to stop construction work,” Leh deputy commissioner T Angchuk told HT.

The passenger shed was being constructed at cost of Rs 1.80 lakh under the Border Area Development Programme of the union home ministry at a place 10 km from Demchok village. The place does not have a well-demarcated border.

In August, the New York Times revealed there were 11,000 Chinese troops in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The Chinese influence has expanded from the Line of Actual Control to the Northern Areas of Pakistan. The People’s Liberation Army is building infrastructure in Gilgit and Baltistan (Northern Areas) with Pakistan’s encouragement.