New Delhi: Tourists planning road trips to the remote parts of Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh or Uttarakhand will soon get to relax and recharge at one of the 75 upcoming ‘BRO Cafes’, which would feature restaurants, rest rooms and parking facilities.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Defence — in partnership with the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) — approved the setting up these cafes in 12 states and Union Territories. The venture aims to provide better roadside amenities to tourists as well as boost the local economy in these areas.
‘BRO Cafes’ will be set up at far-flung towns and tourist destinations like Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang and Ladakh’s Rumtse near the China border, Uttarakhand’s Darkot at the base of the Himalayas, as well as Rajasthan’s Tanot near the Pakistan border.
Other states and UTs that will get these cafes include Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim and West Bengal. The licence to run these cafes are for 15 years with an option to extend it for another five.
Founded in 1960, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is the road-construction wing of the Armed Forces that develops and maintains road infrastructure in India’s border areas, including remote regions. Recent infrastructural achievements of the BRO include Ladakh’s Umling La mountain pass which boasts of the world’s highest motorable road.
The ministry said: “Since the inaccessibility and remoteness of these roads preclude widespread commercial deployments, the BRO, by virtue of its presence, took it upon itself to open such facilities at remote places. The scheme provides for development and operation of wayside amenities in public private partnership mode with agencies, on license basis, which will design, build & operate the facility as per guidelines of BRO.”
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