Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 19: Asserting that better road connectivity is pivotal for bringing speedy socio-economic transformation in the State, Minister for R&B, Abdul Majid Wani today described R&B as a core sector for people that lends support and boosts activities of other departments meant for people’s welfare and State’s overall development.
Wrapping up the discussion on the demand of grants for the R&B Department in the Legislative Assembly today, Mr Wani said, “State is witnessing good progress in the road sector and several important and significant projects have been completed or are on the verge of completion”, adding “besides taking up major road projects the State Government has given special focus to improve and upgrade urban-rural connectivity”.
Highlighting the physical and financial achievements of the department, the Minister said that R&B Department Kashmir maintains a road length of 11594.53 km of which 6262.21 km have been blacktopped and 5332.32 km roads mostly in rural areas are in different stages of upgradation through various programmes. He further said that 6262.21 km black topped roads include 76.90 km of National Highway, 29.50 km of State Highway, 875 km of major district roads, 1767.31 km of other district roads and 3513 km of the village roads.
He said that 2371 schemes are in progress under State sector (Projectization), NABARD Loan, CRF, PMRP and Special Bridges programme. Against the funds amounting to Rs 362.96 crore received during 2012-13, the expenditure incurred is Rs 285.11 crore which is 79 per cent. During the current financial year, 1296.84 km road length has been black topped and 1024.56 km brought under WBM status in Kashmir division, he added.
He said under the Projectization programme 87 schemes have been completed, adding during 2012-13 under the Projectization programme in Kashmir, 800.51 km road length has been black topped against the target of 581.33 km and 460.08 km brought to WBM status against the target of 590.65 km.
Similarly, under NABARD the Minister said that 48 out of 714 schemes have been completed and during 2012-13 426.50 km road length was black topped against the target of 428.23 km and 445.23 km brought to WBM status against the target of 460 km under NABARD loan assistance. He said that 21 bridges have been completed under the special bridge programme and 4 schemes out of 19 have been completed under Centre Roads Fund (CRF). He said that 25962 RM drains have also been constructed during 2012-13. He said under NBCC 28.90 km road length has been black topped and 77.05 km brought to WBM status.
Similarly, in Jammu division, Mr Wani said that R&B Department maintains a road length of 8932.17 km, out of which 6587.90 km have been blacktopped and 2344.27 km are in different stages of upgradation through various programmes. In R&B sector, 2025 schemes are in progress under State Sector Projectization, Special Bridge Programme CRF, NABARD, NFB and STF. Out of the Rs. 422.36 crore received till date, the expenditure incurred is Rs 377.03 crore which is 89.26 per cent. During current financial year, 861.56 km road length has been black topped and 1502.10 km brought to WBM status, he added.
Under the NABARD loan assistance in Jammu division 113 schemes have been completed out of 563 schemes and 25 schemes were completed during 2012-13. He said under Projectization of road during the current financial year 655 km road have been black topped against the target of 564 km and 702 km brought to WBM status against the target of 516 km.
Under Special Bridge Programme, Mr Wani said 173 bridges out of 320 have been completed including 21 bridges that were completed during year 2012-13.
Responding to the points raised by some members, Mr Wani said that State has recently received nod under PMGSY for taking up new road projects for providing road connectivity to left out 1100 habitations across the State. He said districts with lower road connectivity percentage will be given special attention adding that the department has already issued a circular in this regard.
The Minister said that forest clearance for various pending road projects will be fast tracked to complete those works which have come to a standstill due to this bottleneck. Forest, Revenue and R&B Department officials have been asked to work together to clear all such cases regularly on monthly basis, he said. He said that Government has approached centre to provide a special grant of over Rs 700 crore under PMRP for clearing land compensation cases under various projects of PMGSY so that works are taken up and completed.
In all 18 members including Qamar Ali Akhoon, Hakim Mohammad Yasin, G M Saroori, Ashok Kumar, M Y Tarigami, Th Rachpal Singh, Irfan Shah, Prof Gharu Ram, Nasir Aslam Wani, Durga Dass, Mohammad Sharief Niaz, Harshdev Singh, Bimla Luthra, Er Abdul Rashid, Jagdish Raj Sapolia, Aijaz Ahmad Jan, Charanjit Singh and Master Lal Chand took part in the discussion.
The House, later, passed the grants by a voice vote.
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