Defence minister A.K. Antony on Sunday visited Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and met Indian troops deployed on the border areas of the Sino-Indian border.In a significant message, Mr Antony said that "infrastructure development in the Northeast is now a top priority for the government".

Mr Antony also visited the Tawang war memorial (dedicated to the Indian soldiers who died in the 1962 Sino-Indian war) and laid a wreath.

Mr Antony’s visit to Arunachal comes after the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the state recently.

Speaking about the need to bolster the infrastructure in the region, Mr Antony said, "In the past, required attention was not given to this region. There is no point in finding fault with anybody. It’s our topmost priority now to develop infrastructure in the Northeast," he said.

There have been reports of China building military infrastructure rapidly on its side of the border while India’s infrastructure in its region bordering China is largely seen as inadequate.

Military analysts feel that the building of infrastructure like roads could be crucial in an emergency situation where troops have to be rushed quickly.India has been making efforts now to build more roads in its areas bordering China.

The defence minister was accompanied on his visit by defence secretary Vijay Singh and Army Chief Gen. Deepak Kapoor. The minister had also visited Tezpur in Assam on Saturday.

Defence Minister also stressed

"Our overall objective is to provide you with the latest equipment, so that our armed forces continue to be one of the best in the world. Our endeavour will be to ensure the all-round welfare of armed forces personnel and their families. I wish to assure you that we will do whatever is humanly possible to give you the best,"