The network includes two stretches that touch close to the India-Bhutan-China trijunction and the India-China-Myanmar trijunction. And the Indian portion of the historic Stillwell (India-Myanmar-China) road.

The aim is to link up border points with the (Assam-Arunachal Pradesh) National Highway 52, which is also being four-laned under the NHDP-3. The plan meshes with what Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has envisioned for the North-East: by the end of the Eleventh Five-year plan, connectivity for all 85 districts of the North-East by road and all state capitals by two modes of transport.

So, 11 more airports, including one in Itanagar, are being built taking the total up to 23 in this region. The Railways, too, has developed its own gauge conversion plan.

Post-1962, there were efforts made to settle population in these areas and financial help in the form of subsidies was also extended. However, the lack of infrastructure stood in the way.

Incidentally, this policy is a reversal of the earlier military logic that these areas be kept underdeveloped to prevent easier access for Chinese Army. But the fact is that the Army too has modified its plans and feels that better roads give it greater mobility.