Finally, a road to Ladakh

"The need of the hour is to have connectivity in the region throughout the year. The main highway National Highway One Alpha which connects Kashmir Valley and Ladakh remains closed for more than six months." said a senior Defence Ministry official on the condition of anonymity.

According to defence experts, India has sought to address the issue quite late. "Both China and Pakistan are improving road networks on the strategically located Karakoram highway, connecting Xinjinag province to Gwadar port in Pakistan," the official said.

Defence Ministry sources also confirmed that the issue would be discussed threadbare at the four-day long commander's conference. The army engineers and Indian railway officials have already inspected the area.

"There is an existing rail link between Jammu and Udhampur which will be further extended to Srinagar. There is a serious need to counter Chinese advances in terms of infrastructure development in the area," said another Ministry official, requesting anonymity.

"The road and rail link will also help in developing economic infrastructure in the area, which has seen very little development in the last six decades," the official added.

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