Rs 158 crore Kenyan-Gandyal bridge to shorten distance, reduce traffic on NH

Excelsior Correspondent

BJP leaders at a press conference at Jammu on Wednesday. -Excelsior/ Rakesh
BJP leaders at a press conference at Jammu on Wednesday.
-Excelsior/ Rakesh

JAMMU, June 24: With laying the foundation stone of Rs 158 crore Kenyan-Gandyal bridge over river Ravi in Kathua district on June 26 by Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, a long dream of people of Kathua will come true.
One of the interstate bridges, the Kenyan -Gandyal bridge over Ravi will shorten the distance between J&K and Punjab. It will be a historic bridge whose initiative was purely taken by Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister in PMO who also represents Kathua – Udhampur Lok Sabha Constituency and the local BJP activists.
According to sources earlier the foundation stone of the bridge was to be laid in September last year but due to flash floods in Valley that time it was postponed. Later again the foundation stone could not be laid in the ending 2014 due to Model Code of Conduct as the Assembly elections were round the corner, sources added.
Besides, reducing the distance, the bridge will also decrease the pressure of traffic on Jammu- Pathankote National Highway to a great extent. The Bhoomi Poojan and foundation stone on 1210 metre span Kenyan -Gandyal bridge will be laid at Bhagthali by the Union Minister who will be accompanied by Dr Jitendra Singh also, said Kathua MLA Rajiv Jasrotia who gave full credit to Dr Jitender Singh for it.
The Kenyan -Gandyal bridge will be fifth bridge over river Ravi in Kathua district. While three bridges on river Ravi in the district are presently in working condition, the fourth bridge is under construction at Basohli and it will be completed by ending this year.
Among the five bridges Kathlore bridge is oldest link of J&K with Punjab. The Madhavpur bridge on Jammu-Pathankote NH is the second one while third bridge is near Sewa Power Project linking J&K with HN and Punjab.
The Kathua district has also come into lime light as it is among the few districts of the country where from Arogya Gram Yojna launched by CSIR under the Minister of Science and Technology on the initiative of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi will be started.
Sources said with the launch of the scheme from Kathua the district will get an identity as a hub for production of herbal medicines in the country. Choosing the Kathua among few first districts of the country for launch of the scheme was also done at the initiative of Dr Jitendra Singh. The CSIR team has already paid a visit to the district to start the work, sources added.
Under this scheme the farmers economy will get a boost and farmers will be provided aromatic plants for growth. The Government will provide all assistance from planting the trees till marketing.
On the initiative of Dr Jitendra Singh first biotech park was set up at Ghati in Kathua district last year while High tech forecasting system was also installed at Sanji Chhat Kathua for weather forecasting.
Disclosing this at a press conference, BJP senior leader and State Executive Member Sanjeev Sharma, BJYM vice president Bharat Sharma and another activist Divinder Singh said that Dr Singh took personnel interest in getting the Kenyan -Gandyal bridge approved from the Union Government which was a long pending demand of the people of Kathua and the previous UPA Government had failed to take it up in hand.
They said with establishing of biotech- park at Ghati in Kathua, establishment of weather forecasting system at Sanji Chatt, up-gradation of KVs, allotment of plots for border migrants at Hiranagar and choosing Kathua among few first districts of country for Arogya Gram Yojna, Dr Jitnedra Singh has fulfilled many of his poll promises in the first year of Modi Government.

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