The world records achieved by the BRO symbolise cutting-edge leadership and the government’s foresight & support.

Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry (Retd)

Former Director General, Border Roads Organisation

THE Border Roads Organisation (BRO), an emblem of the nation’s engineering prowess and determination, has put Bharat on the global infrastructure map by creating eight world records — and all during the past three years. Today, the Tricolour flies high with pride on the highest road (at an altitude of 19,024 ft) in the world.

Building roads in the plains and in the mountains are two entirely different activities. The latter was neglected by previous governments, thereby stunting the progress of the mountainous region and remote areas along the northern borders. Due to the lack or absence of infrastructure in many border villages, the people got deprived of the fruits of progress, to the extent that a large proportion of them were not even getting access to Central Government schemes.

The government has played a pivotal role in the transformation of the BRO through enhanced budgetary support and the sanctioning of ambitious projects. BRO Karmyogis have responded well against all odds of the harshest terrain and the most inclement weather conditions and created seven out of eight world records at freezing heights in Ladakh alone.

The 52-km-long road connecting Chisumle to Demchok passes through Umling La at 19,024 ft, which is not only higher than Siachen Glacier but also pips both the base camps of Mount Everest in Nepal and Tibet.

The Atal tunnel is another engineering marvel that represents a significant milestone in India’s infrastructure development. It is the world’s longest highway tunnel, situated above 10,000 ft, stretching for 9.02 km to connect Manali to Lahaul & Spiti Valley.

The world’s highest Bailey suspension bridge at Shyok village at an altitude of 11,960 ft is a critical link on the Darbuk–Shyok–Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) Road. However, this has been supplemented by a 120-metre-long ‘class 70’ permanent iron bridge which was inaugurated by the Defence Minister from the bridge site on October 28, 2022.

The world’s highest oxygen café has come as a boon for the bikers and tourists who started visiting the world’s highest road at Umling La of late, and has become a social media sensation.

The BRO inducted 755 Task Force/Himank at Hanle, situated at 15,000 ft, to construct the world’s highest road connecting Likaru to Fukche. This task force at Hanle has been declared the world’s highest construction task force; it is also responsible for the construction of the world’s highest fighter airbase at Nyoma (13,700 ft).

The 78 RCC (Road Construction Company) of 50 TF/Himank located at Burtse (16,200 ft) is responsible for the construction/maintenance of the strategically most critical Darbuk–Shyok–DBO and SBG roads in the harshest terrain of the Sub-Sector North.

The world’s highest workshop, which is located at Sultan Chushku (14,650 ft), is responsible for the repair and maintenance of a huge number of machines and equipment involved in construction of roads and bridges in the DBO sector. Sultan Chushku is situated south of Murgo (‘Gateway to death’).

To deal with medical emergencies involving tourists, locals as well as security personnel, the BRO has constructed a medical centre equipped with modern facilities at Umling La. This is the world’s highest medical centre.

The Sela tunnel, the world’s longest bi-lane tunnel above 13,000 ft, would ensure all-weather connectivity between Guwahati and Tawang.

The BRO started constructing the world’s highest road on August 15, 2023, connecting Likaru, Migla (19,400 ft) and Fukche through a stretch of 64 km. This road will break the BRO’s own record of Umling La. Of the 14 highest roads in the world, 11 are in India.

Work is going on in full swing at Nyoma airbase, which will provide strategic edge to the Indian Air Force over China and extend operational and logistic reach of the Army in Eastern Ladakh.

The BRO has completed work on the world’s highest bridge located at an altitude of 15,300 ft at Saser Brangsa over the Shyok river in just one working season last year. This 345-metre-long bridge is ‘class 70’ and has seven piers resting on a total of 329 micropiles. The bridge is awaiting dedication to the nation.

The Shinkun La tunnel at an altitude of 15,855 ft will connect 36 villages of Zanskar to 137 villages of Lahaul & Spiti and would be the world’s highest tunnel, beating the record of China’s Mila tunnel (15,584 ft).

The BRO has completed three tunnels during the past three years, while 10 are under construction. The organisation is poised to take up at least eight more tunnels in the near future, for which planning process is near complete. Six of these tunnels would be higher than Mont Blanc (15,771 ft) — the highest peak in the Alps. Till now, the world used to look with awe and admiration at mountain tunnels in the Alps, but the focus will soon be shifting to India when it comes to the construction of tunnels at super-high altitudes.

The world records achieved by the BRO are more than engineering marvels; these symbolise human grit and resilience, cutting-edge leadership as well as the government’s foresight and support. Demonstrating exceptional skills in various construction sectors, the BRO is emerging as a source of inspiration for the global construction industry. 

To:
Hon’ble Prime Minister India
Shri Narendra Modi Ji
7, Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi-110011 3rd March 2024

Respected Sir,

Subject Petition for Two Murder Investigations. ‘Conspiracy of Double-Murder’ in Food & Drug Administration Office at Kharar, District SAS Nagar (Mohali) in Punjab on 29.3.2019; For ten thousand crore rupees Scam by Embezzlement of 150 crore(till date) Buprenorphine Tablets. Neha Shoree, Drug Licensing Authority cum-Punjab State Flying Squad Head; was murdered in her Office Seat at 11:33 AM. Her planted killer was also murdered within the next two minutes.

1.We submit that a double murder plan was executed by the Drug Mafia with the support of Punjab Civil Administration. A peddler Balwinder Singh of Morinda was identified & planted for murder of Ms. Neha Shoree. On 10.3.2019, the Election Commission had imposed the Model Code of Conduct for 17th Lok Sabha Elections, i.e., on Sunday. Balwinder Singh had been hired for murder of Neha Shoree. He was granted Revolver License & Ammunition illegally, and on 12.3.2019 after the imposition of Model Code; for murder of Neha Shoree: a topper and meritorious Lady Officer.
2.The Drug Mafia was making a huge profit of thousands of crores of rupees by selling Buprenorphine Naloxone tablets and many other Drugs at exorbitant prices to the youth in Punjab. During 2017, her controller, Joint Commissioner (Drugs) Mr. Pardeep Mattoo; instructed Neha Shoree to check the drugs proliferation and particularly, the Drug De-addiction Centers for tablets’ pilferage for sales outside. He asked her to assist the visiting Center’s Teams in their inspections of the De-addiction Centers. Neha Shoree pointed at embezzlement of Buprenorphine Naloxone tablets by regular pilferage from about 800 registered De-addiction Centers & OOAT clinics, and from thousands of private unregistered centers & village shops. She apprised Mr. Mattoo about the Drug Menace in detail. As directed by him, she submitted her investigation report in writing to Mr. Mattoo with complete details on the functioning of Sidhu De-addiction Center at Kharar. Politicians perceived Neha Shoree as an impediment in their commercial and electoral gains from Drugs’ Businesses during the impending Lok Sabha elections. Mr. Mattoo, in collusion with the authorities in power connived for Ms. Neha Shoree’s murder in her Office Seat.
3.DGP of Punjab formed four SITs in a short span of twelve days. We immensely cooperated with all the SITs of Punjab Police. But all along, we were misled; kept in dark and deceived. We provided password details of our daughter’s iPhone to the SIT: only to discover later that the data of her iPhone had been deleted. SIT took out its SIM card and did not return it with her iPhone. Forensics of Cyber and Ballistic reports were abnormally delayed. (Forensic expert’s examinations started after a delay of 103 days, Ballistic started after 131 days and Cyber examination started after 41 days: and only to obliterate the leftover proofs, if any). All investigations were botched-up despite our relentless & vigorous co-operation, and follow-up. Four months after our Petition to HHC on 07.11.2019, the SIT supplied its investigation report to us on 24.02.2020. SIT had surreptitiously closed it in January 2020, i.e., ten months after the two Murders: as untraced. SIT gave us its report on 24.2.2020, i.e., eleven months after this Double-Murder. SIT’s report is Blank.
4.Neha Shoree was shot dead in her office seat in less than ten seconds. Balwinder Singh was shot dead at a distance of 120 yards within two minutes of murdering Neha Shoree. This Double-Murder operation was extraordinarily swift due to prior elaborate planning with precision.
5.Since Nov 2019, our petition No. CRM-M-48105/2019 is lurking in Hon’ble P&H High Court. Technically, the petition is not sub-judice because no FIR is existing; and nor HHC has given any orders for registration of the FIR since January 2020. We humbly request that Honorable Courts may kindly avoid partiality and discrimination in the Justice systems and its delivery to the common Citizens. All authorities of the Nation are evading responsibility under the misnomer of sub-judice, which has thwarted the Justice itself.
6.We humbly request your honor to order for two separate investigations into these two murders by the CBI, and by the other relevant &Constitutionally mandated Central Agencies which deal with the crimes related to Drugs: and the crimes related to the Security of our border States. We attach a copy of the letter dated 16.4.2019 of the then Health Minister Shri Brahm Mohindra to the then Chief Minister, Capt. Amarinder Singh for your perusal.
7.Neha Shoree has orphaned her (then) two years old baby girl.
8.We humbly request your honor for Justice.

Thanking you in anticipation

Yours sincerely

Captain (Retd)Kailash Kumar Shoree (Father of the deceased, 1971 War Veteran) Mob-8146668502.
Mrs. Arun Shoree (Mother of the deceased, retired teacher) Mobile No-7087400392.
Residence #267, Sector-12, Panchkula-134112. (0172-4084267)

Tribune News Service

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, March 5

A day after the Maldives reportedly signed an agreement with China to receive free military aid, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu made an about turn on the issue of Indians manning emergency evacuation and surveillance platforms by stating that no Indian troops, including those in civilian clothing, will be allowed to enter the country after May 10.

South Block had earlier presumed that the stand taken by the new Maldives government on clearing the country of all foreign military personnel meant that there would be no objection to replacing the 80-odd Indian army men posted there with civilians.

But just as the first lot of Indian civilians arrived to replace the military men, Muizzu has thrown a spanner by saying that, “these people (Indian military) are not departing, and they are returning after changing their uniforms into civilian clothing. We must not indulge such thoughts that instill doubts in our hearts and spread lies,’’ Maldives media reported Muizzu as saying.

“There will be no Indian troops in the country come May 10. Not in uniform and not in civilian clothing. The Indian military will not be residing in this country in any form of clothing. I state this with confidence,” he reportedly added.

India had presumed that the February 2 India-Maldives core group meeting had agreed to begin replacing Indian military personnel operating three aviation platforms in the Maldives by May 10 with the first phase to be completed by March 10.

Late on Monday, Maldives Defence Ministry said in a X post that it had signed an “agreement on China’s provision of military assistance” with China but gave no further details. The Chinese Foreign Office deflected the query to “competent Chinese authorities’’.

“More broadly, China is committed to working with the Maldives to build a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Normal cooperation between China and the Maldives does not target any third party and will not be disrupted by any third party,’’ said its spokesperson Mao Ning.

On Sunday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had countered the charge that India was acting like a bully with the Maldives by stating that “big bullies do not offer $4.5 billion aid or vaccine or food when neighbouring countries are in distress.’’

Muizzu steps up anti-India rhetoric hours after military aid pact with China

Tribune News Service

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, March 5

On a day when the Maldives reportedly signed an agreement with China to receive free military aid, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu made an about turn on the issue of Indians manning emergency evacuation and surveillance platforms by stating that no Indian troops, including those in civilian clothing, would be allowed to enter the country after May 10.

South Block had earlier presumed that the stand taken by the new Maldives government on clearing the country of all foreign military personnel meant there would be no objection to replacing the 80-odd Indian Army men posted there with civilians.

But just as the first lot of Indian civilians arrived to replace the military men, Muizzu has thrown a spanner by stating that, “These people (Indian military) are not departing, and they are returning after changing their uniforms into civilian clothing. We must not indulge such thoughts that instil doubts in our hearts and spread lies.”

“There will be no Indian troops in the country come May 10. Not in uniform and not in civilian clothing. The Indian military will not be residing in this country in any form of clothing. I state this with confidence,” Maldives media reported Muizzu as saying.

Late on Monday, Maldives Defence Ministry said in a X post that it had signed an “agreement on China’s provision of military assistance” but gave no further details. The Chinese Foreign Office deflected the query to “competent Chinese authorities”.

“More broadly, China is committed to working with the Maldives to build a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Normal cooperation between China and the Maldives does not target any third party and will not be disrupted by any third party,” said its spokesperson, Mao Ning.

Air India restarts flights to Tel Aviv

Tribune News Service

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, March 5

The blowback from the Israel conflict hit India on Monday with the death of a 31-year-old from Kerala and injuries to two others in a suspected rocket and mortar attack by Lebanon’s Hezbollah group around an orchard on Israel’s northern borders.

Air India restarts flights to Tel Aviv

• First reported death of an Indian near Israel’s border with Lebanon in several years
• Air India restarts flights from Delhi to Tel Aviv after five months on a tri-weekly basis

All three youngsters from Kerala are understood to have arrived in Israel to work at orchards near the restive borders with Lebanon where work permits of Palestinians were suspended after the Hamas attack on October 7 last year.

An anti-tank missile hit a plantation in the Margaliot collective agricultural farm in the Galilee region in north Israel around 11 am on Monday, instantly killing Patnibin Maxwell (30) from Kollam, who had arrived in January. Bush Joseph George (31) and Paul Melvin (28), both from Idukki, who were also working on the farm, were injured and hospitalised, said reports and posts from the Israel embassy here.

This is the first reported death of an Indian near Israel’s border with Lebanon in several years. Maxwell is survived by his pregnant wife and a five-year-old daughter.

This was reportedly the seventh civilian death in the Israeli controlled part of the region where 10 Israel Defence Force (IDF) personnel have also been killed in attacks by the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group.

India gave mixed signals about the desirability of its nationals being in Israel. It indicated that while most of the country was safe, the border areas were dangerous. An advisory by the Indian Embassy in Israel urged nationals to move away from the borders to safer areas in the country. Air India announced on the same day that the government had cleared the resumption of flights to Tel Aviv and the first one had taken off on Sunday.

A retaliation to the attack was underway and the IDF said it had shelled the launch site as well as struck a compound where members of the Hezbollah group had assembled.

The MEA’s assessment of the number of Indians in Israel has remained static at 18,000 since the October 7 Hamas attacks. While about 1,000 Indians, mostly students, have come back, confirmed reports have spoken of at least 10,000 Indian workers having left for Israel to make up for the shortfall in the farming, construction and hospice and domestic care segments.

QUESTIONS /CLARIFICATION REQUIRED BY ALL FORM NAVAL TOP BRASS PHOTO

1. Who is the Chief ,Vice Chief, Command chiefs in photo
2. Why no uniformity of pajama kurta colours or of jackets.
3. What does the different colours of dress signify .
4. Does the dress colours signify different command colours Eastern,Western,Southern commands .
5. How about Junior Officers , are they free to select any colour of Jackets and kurta.
6. How will anyone even among officer recognise the rank structure of each others
7. what about name Plates ,ribbons and should rank .
8. Will the waiters serving will also wear Kurta Pajama with Kamarband.
9. Earlier political leaders were permitted in National Dress Kurta Pajama in officers Messes
10. what about Junior Commission Officers Messes and their dress.
11. How will the Navy officers interact with sister organization’s like airforce, and army and will be seen in the crowd.

Beijing, March 5

China on Tuesday announced a 7.2% increase in its defence budget, which is already the world’s second-highest behind the United States at 1.6 trillion yuan (USD 222 billion), roughly mirroring the rise of the last year.

Tensions with the US, Taiwan, Japan and neighbours who share claims to the crucial South China Sea are seen as furthering growth in increasingly high-tech military technologies from stealth fighters to aircraft carriers and a growing arsenal of nuclear weapons.

The official budget figure announced Tuesday at the opening session of the rubber-stamp legislature’s annual meeting is considered by many foreign experts to be only a fraction of spending by the People’s Liberation Army, the military wing of the ruling Communist Party, once spending on research and development and foreign weapons purchases are considered.

PTI

United Nations/Geneva, March 5

India has slammed Pakistan as it raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at the UN Human Rights Council, saying it should introspect on its own appalling human rights record and “deserved global reputation” as the “world’s terrorism factory”.

Under Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva Jagpreet Kaur exercised the country’s Right of Reply at the General debate at the 55th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council Monday after Pakistan, speaking on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), raked the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in its statement.

“We have taken the floor previously during this Session and conveyed our disinclination to waste the Council’s time in responding to fallacious comments about India, by one particular delegation, which does so as they do not have anything constructive to contribute,” Kaur said on Monday.

Without naming Pakistan, Kaur said it is unfortunate that “this country continues with its diatribe against India, including by continuing to misuse the OIC’s platform to further their own politically motivated agenda.

“We do not wish to dignify such remarks by responding to them and are taking the floor again only to urge that delegation to introspect on their own appalling human rights record and their deserved global reputation as the world’s terrorism factory,” Kaur said.

Last week, in a strong retort to Pakistan, India had said in the Council that the country is soaked in the red of the bloodshed from the terrorism that it sponsors around the world as First Secretary in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in Geneva Anupama Singh had exercised India’s Right of Reply at the high-level segment of the 55th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council.

Coming down heavily on Pakistan, India said that “we cannot pay any further attention to a country that speaks while being soaked in red – the red of the bloodshed from the terrorism it sponsors around the world; the red of its debt-riddled national balance sheets; and the red of the shame its own people feel for their government having failed to serve their actual interests.”

She said a country that hosts and even celebrates UN Security Council-sanctioned terrorists, “commenting on India whose pluralistic ethos and democratic credentials are exemplars for the world, is a contrast for everyone to see.”

Hitting out at Pakistan for the “extensive references” to India, Singh had said it is deeply unfortunate for the Council’s platform to have once again been misused to make patently false allegations against India.

PTI

Jerusalem, March 5

An Indian national was killed and another two were injured on Monday when an anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon struck an orchard near Israel’s northern border community of Margaliot, officials said.

All three victims hail from the southern state of Kerala.

The missile hit a plantation in Margaliot, a moshav (collective agricultural community), in the Galilee region in the north of Israel around 11 am on Monday, Zaki Heller, spokesperson for rescue services Magen David Adom (MDA), told PTI.

Patnibin Maxwell from Kollam in Kerala was killed in the attack. His mortal remains were identified in Ziv hospital, official sources said.

Bush Joseph George and Paul Melvin were injured and taken to hospitals for treatment, they said.

“George was taken to the Beilinson hospital in Petah Tikva after suffering injuries on face and body. He underwent an operation, is recovering well, and has been kept under observation. He could speak with his family in India,” an official source told PTI.

Melvin was slightly injured and is hospitalised at Ziv Hospital in the northern Israeli city of Safed. He is from the Idukki district of Kerala.

MDA earlier said one foreign worker was killed and seven others were injured in the attack.

The attack is believed to have been carried out by the Shi’ite Hezbollah faction in Lebanon, which has been launching rockets, missiles, and drones at northern Israel daily since October 8 in support of Hamas amid the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

MDA said seven foreign workers were injured altogether in the attack, two of them seriously, and were taken to Beilinson, Rambam, and Ziv hospitals in their ambulances and Israeli Air Force helicopters.

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Monday said they responded by shelling the launch site with artillery.

The IDF also said it struck a Hezbollah compound where members of the group were gathered in the southern Lebanon town of Chihine, and another site belonging to Hezbollah in Ayta ash-Shab.

Hezbollah has been launching attacks on Israel’s northern communities and military posts since October 8 saying it is doing so to support Gaza.

The skirmishes between Israel and Hezbollah have resulted in the death of seven civilians and 10 IDF soldiers on the Israeli side.

Hezbollah has named 229 members who have been killed by Israel during recent flare ups. Most of the casualties on the Hezbollah side happened in Lebanon but also some in Syria.

Another 37 operatives from other groups, a Lebanese soldier, and at least 30 civilians have also been killed since October 8.

OTA PASSING OUT PARADE