Chinese troops enter Indian territory again

Leh/Srinagar, January 9 (PTI): After remaining peaceful for most of the year, Chinese troops entered Indian territory in the fag end of 2010 along the Line of Actual Control in South-eastern Ladakh region and threatened a contractor and his team to halt work on constructing a “passenger shed”. The Chinese troops, which included motor-cycle borne personnel of People’s Liberation Army (PLA), entered Gombir area in Demchok region in Jammu and Kashmir and threatened the civilian workers who were building the shed, the plan for which was cleared by the state rural development department, according to details accessed by PTI.
The incident took place in September-October last year in a village about 300-kms south-east of Leh district headquarters. An official report, which was prepared after a meeting of officials from civilian administration, army, central security agencies and Indo-Tibetan Border Police, stated that a passenger shed was approved at an estimated cost of Rs two lakh to be built at ‘T’ point in village Gombir under the Border Area Development Project of ministry of home affairs. The Chinese army -- PLA -- came to the ‘T’ point and asked the contractor to stop the work, the report said. An official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the arrival of Chinese troops, some of whom were ironically on motorcycle, triggered panic among the workers who rushed to the nearby Army post for help.
The Chinese troops also shouted some slogans which could not be translated by the officials, the official said. The Army was quick in responding and asked the state government to maintain status quo, the report said and added that the 3 Infantry Division asked the state Government to take the permission of ministry of defence before carrying out any construction activities at least 50 kilometres of the Line of Actual Control. When contacted, Lt Col J S Brar, who officiates as spokesperson for Leh-based 14 Corps, refused to comment on the issue. According to the report, the civil administration proceeded on field verification to the area on October two, 2010 and on the next day, Army wrote to the administration to seek defence ministry’s clearance for any project within 50 kms of Border. The civil administration said it was baffled by the Army’s missive as this would mean entire Nyoma sub-division would get affected in the matter of developmental work. The state government had planned construction of seven link-roads in Nyoma and Damchok areas to increase connectivity and provide job opportunity to the people of this remote and treacherous mountain region, which is close to the Line of Actual Control.