The Border Roads Organisation will move out of Naxal-hit areas and from foreign assignments to focus on building infrastructure like strategic roads and airfields along the frontiers with China and Pakistan, defence minister A K Antony today said.

"The government has told the Borders Roads Organisation (BRO) that their priority task is to concentrate on strategic roads, airfields, bridges and tunnels in the areas (along borders with China and Pakistan)," he told reporters on the sidelines of BRO's golden jubilee celebrations here.

The BRO had announced that it would move out of the National Highway-16 project passing through Naxal-hit Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the border areas by March next year

Antony said the thinking in the past was to leave the border areas underdeveloped so that it was safe, but now the government had realised that it was a mistake and has taken several measures to improve infrastructure.

The defence minister was replying to questions on the poor infrastructure in Indian areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

"The theory in the past was that it is better to keep the border areas in an underdeveloped manner and it will be safe.It is an old theory. It has caused a lot of damage," he admitted.

"Now, in the last 2 years, the government is aware that it is not a correct approach. For the last many years, the government has taken many steps to develop the border areas. Not only roads and airfields, but also electricity, agriculture and healthcare areas are being developed," he said.

The BRO would be deployed in interior areas for infrastructure development work only after the border areas were developed and government felt it was necessary to do so.

"At the moment, BRO is overstretched because it is an efficient organisation and everybody wants its help. BRO has to go to Afghanistan, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan and their service is spread out to 14 states. Going everywhere is creating problems.

"There is a limit to their capacity. BRO must concentrate on its task of focused deployment of manpower so that they are able to complete the strategic projects in a time-bound manner. Now things are moving fast (in that direction)," he said.

Speaking at the BRO function, Antony told his colleagues that he had been in the Defence Ministry for long to understand the difficulties plaguing various departments.

"For any organisation, there is a limit. You will get tired. We cannot do more. Demands are coming from all states (for road projects to be given to BRO). But we have told BRO to concentrate on strategic roads, airfields and tunnels," he said.

"BRO is not responsible for it (road projects in states), but for border roads. India faces threat from various sources. We do not know what will happen tomorrow. We are living in a neighbourhood where many terrorist outfits operate. Armed Forces need more support from BRO," he said, adding border roads must be built on a war-footing.

Antony also told the BRO, which comprises of both Army and its own personnel, to shed all "friction and bickerings" and work as an extended mixed family.

"In a family it is possible to have some friction. There are bickerings. We must find a solution. BRO is an extended mixed family," he said.

Others present at the function were minister of state for defence M M Pallam Raju, IAF chief air chief marshal P V Naik, Army chief General V K Singh, defence secretary Pradeep Kumar, highways and road transport secretary Brahm Dutt, Army engineer-in-chief Lt gen A K Nanda and BRO director general Lt gen M C Badhani.