About Border Roads Organisation
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is a road construction executive force in India that provides support to Indian Armed Forces. BRO develops and maintains road networks in India's border areas and friendly neighboring countries. This includes infrastructure operations in 19 states and three union territories (including Andaman and Nicobar Islands) and neighboring countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Tajikistan and Sri Lanka. As of 2021, BRO had constructed over 60,000 kilometres (37,282 mi) of roads, over 450 permanent bridges with a total length of over 60,000 metres (37 mi) length and 19 airfields in strategic locations. BRO is also tasked with maintaining this infrastructure including operations such as snow clearance. BRO is instrumental in significantly upgrading and building new India-China Border Roads.
Officers and personnel from the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) form the parent cadre of the BRO. It is also staffed by Officers and Troops drawn from the Indian Army's Corps of Engineers on extra regimental employment (on deputation). BRO is also included in the Order of Battle of the Armed Forces, ensuring their support at any time.
The BRO undertakes projects in India and friendly countries. These projects typically include developing roads, bridges, and airfields in hostile environments shunned by private enterprises, whether due to security concerns related to hostilities, or because of environmental challenges. BRO has been active during the 1962 war, the conflicts with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, and has also been active in anti-insurgency operations in North East.
The organisation motto is Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam (everything is achievable through hardwork)
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The BRO was formed on 7 May 1960 to secure India's borders and develop infrastructure in remote areas of the north and north-east states of the country.In order to ensure coordination and expeditious execution of projects, the Government of India set up the Border Roads Development Board (BRDB) with the Prime Minister as Chairman of the Board and Defence Minister as Deputy Chairman. Today, the board exercises the financial and other powers of a Department of Government of India and is chaired by the Minister of State for Defence (Raksha Rajya Mantri, RRM). Among others, Chief(s) of Army and Air Staff, Engineer-in-Chief, Director General Border Roads (DGBR), FA(DS) are members of the BRDB.
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The executive head of the BRO is the DGBR who holds the rank of Lieutenant General. In a bid to boost border connectivity, BRO has been entirely brought under the Ministry of Defence in 2015. Earlier it received funds from the Ministry of Surface Transport under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.The organisations motto is Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam (everything is achievable through hardwork).
The fundamental unit of the BRO is similar to a platoon. This functional platoon, is in charge of activities such as formation cutting, surfacing, and safety mechanisms to maintain correct road geometry. BRO units also handle the construction of permanent and temporary bridges, causeways, and airfields. BRO includes 18 Projects, which are divided into Task Forces, Road Construction Companies (RCCs), Bridge Construction Companies (BCCs), Drain Maintenance Companies (DMCs), and other functional platoons.
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The organisation also includes base workshops, store divisions, training and recruitment centers, and other staff. The BRO is also in charge of maintenance of its road networks. In many areas landslides, avalanches and snow block the routes which BRO clears to keep to communication routes open. BRO also employs the more than two lakh (200,000) local workers in the task ensuring employment in far flung areas. BRO projects typically include developing roads, bridges, and airfields in hostile environments shunned by private enterprises, whether due to security concerns related to hostilities, or because of environmental challenges. Some of these projects carry out some of the development initiatives of the Indian government in foreign territories like Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Bhutan. These include the Delaram-Zaranj Highway in Afghanistan, completed and handed over to the Afghan government during 2008, and the restoration of the Farkhor and Ayni air bases in Tajikistan. The BRO also played a vital role in reconstruction work in the aftermath of the devastating 2004 Tsunami in Tamil Nadu, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and 2010 Ladakh flash floods.