STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Raised as Chief Engineer Roads, Ladakh, in 1960, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on Wednesday celebrated its 55th Raising Day across Jammu and Kashmir with great vigour and enthusiasm.
A defence ministry spokesperson said the celebration kicked off with special Pooja at different units followed by Sainik Sammelan Barakhana (community feast) for all ranks.
He said the Project Beacon in Jammu and Kashmir was raised as Chief Engineer Roads (Ladakh) during the first week of May 1960 which was later re-designated as Chief Engineer Project Beacon.
This is the oldest project of BRO initially looking after the entire state. Later, projects ‘Sampark’ and ‘Himank’ were raised for Jammu and Ladakh regions respectively to ease out the workload of this project.
Project ‘Himank’ aptly known as Mountain Tamers, is located at the highest inhabited place in the world between great Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges. It is responsible to maintain line of communication through highest motorable road to highest battlefield in the world and from highest airfield to the highest lake.
Currently, this project is instrumental in development of road infrastructure in Eastern Ladakh and other strategically important roads in Ladakh Sector.
Project ‘Sampark’ was raised in January 1975 with its headquaters at Jammu. It has an area of responsibility South of Pir Panjal covering all the border districts in Jammu region. The project has over 3,000 km of roads (both under maintenance and construction/upgradation) and around 120 bridges.
Project ‘Vijayak’ is deployed in Kargil and is instrumental in maintenance of strategically important road link of 434-Km- long, Srinagar-Leh National Highway from Drass to Zero Point Gumri.
