NSC discusses infrastructure upgrade on China border

Steps being taken to improve infrastructure along the border with China are understood to have been discussed at a high level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi Tuesday.

Steps being taken to improve infrastructure along the border with China are understood to have been discussed at a high level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi Tuesday.

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The nearly hour-long meeting of National Security Council was attended by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Defence Minister AK Antony, National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon.

Army Chief Gen VK Singh, Air Force Vice Chief Air Marshal PK Barbora and Intelligence Bureau Director Rajiv Mathur were also present at the meeting.

The meeting is believed to have deliberated upon infrastructure development and management of border with China.

This assumes significance as the government has lately decided to pay attention to upgrade infrastructure along the border with China to match the capabilities of the neighbouring country.

Soon after taking over last week, Gen Singh had said the Eastern sector had been "neglected" for some time and attention was being paid to it to enable India to "measure up to any challenge".

He had said the Eastern parts of the country have always had problems with troop manpower and other resources, but in the last two years, the Army had focused in those areas.

"The concern expressed is correct....Through you, I would like to pass it on to our countrymen that our army -- and it is their army -- will stand up to and measure up to any challenge that the nation will face," he had told reporters.

He noted that the government had increased allocation for the Army in this year's budget and "our effort would be to utilise it to be well prepared."

Earlier, the Defence Ministry, in a report, had voiced concern over the build-up of military and infrastructural capacity of the Chinese army on the border.