Border Roads Organisation

The Defence Minister recently dedicated 125 newly constructed infrastructure projects of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to the nation, marking the highest number and significance of inaugurations by the agency in a single day.

About the Border Roads Organisation

• It is a road construction executive force in India that supports the Indian Armed Forces. In 2015, the BRO was fully placed under the Ministry of Defence.
• It was formed on May 7, 1960, to secure India's borders and develop infrastructure in remote areas of the country's northern and northeastern states.
• It develops and maintains road networks in India's border areas and friendly neighboring countries.
• It operates infrastructure in 19 states and three union territories (including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands) and neighboring countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Tajikistan, and Sri Lanka.
• The BRO specializes in the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, tunnels, airports, and maritime works in some of the world's most challenging terrain.
• The BRO also has an operational role during national emergencies and wartime, providing direct support to the Army in maintaining roads in forward areas and performing other tasks as assigned by the government.
• It also provides manpower for the rehabilitation of some of the Indian Air Force's forward airbases during operations. The BRO is also included in the Order of Battle (ORBAT) of the Armed Forces, ensuring their support at any time.
  • The Order of Battle (ORBAT) provides a detailed description of a military force's structure, command, personnel, equipment, and their deployment for an operation.
• To ensure coordination and expeditious execution of projects, the Government of India established the Border Roads Development Board (BRDB), with the Prime Minister as its Chairman and the Defence Minister as its Vice Chairman.
• The executive head of the BRO is the Director General of Border Roads (DGBR), who holds the rank of Lieutenant General. Officers and personnel of the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) form the core cadre of the BRO.
• It also employs officers and soldiers on extra-regimental employment (deputation) from the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army. The BRO also employs over two lakh (200,000) local workers, ensuring employment in remote areas.
• Motto: Shramen Sarvam Sadhyam (Everything is achieved through hard work)