Context: Recently, Government has accepted and implemented three important recommendations of Committee of Experts (CoE) under the Chairmanship of Lt General D B Shekatkar (Retd) relating to border Infrastructure.
Key Points

• The Government has implemented recommendation of CoE to outsource road construction work beyond optimal capacity of Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
• It has been made mandatory to adopt Engineering Procurement Contract (EPC) mode for execution of all works costing more than Rs 100 crore.
• The government has accepted introduction of modern construction plants, equipment and machinery has been implemented by delegating enhanced procurement powers from Rs 7.5 crore to Rs 100 crore to BRO, for domestic and foreign procurements.
• Border Roads has recently inducted Hot-Mix Plant 20/30 TPH for speedier laying of roads, remote operated hydraulic Rock Drills DC-400 R for hard rock cutting, a range of F-90 series of self-propelled snow-cutters/blowers for speedier snow clearance.
• The land acquisition and all statutory clearances like forest and environmental clearance are also made part of approval of Detailed Project Report (DPR).
• It is mandatory to award work only when 90 per cent of the statutory clearances have been obtained. 

About Shekatkar Committee

• The Shekatkar Committee was set up by former defence minister Manohar Parrikar, and submitted its report in December 2016.
• The report covers operational aspects of the armed forces, and its disclosure is not in the interests of national security.
• According to a 2017 report, the Shekatkar Committee had recommended that India’s defence budget should be in the range of 2.5 to 3 per cent of the GDP, keeping in mind possible future threats.
• It had also suggested the establishment of a Joint Services War College for training for middle-level officers.
• It had also recommended that the Military Intelligence School at Pune be converted to a tri-service intelligence training establishment.
• The report also focuses on optimisation of Signals establishments to include radio monitoring companies, corps air support signal regiments, air formation signal regiments, composite signal regiments, and merger of corps operating and engineering signal regiments.
• It included restructuring of repair echelons in the Army to include base workshops, advance base workshops and static/station workshops in the field Army.
• It also called for the closure of military farms and army postal establishments in peace locations, which is among the recommendations already implemented.