Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, June 8: Three years after the proposal for the four-laning of the Samba-Mansar-Udhampur road was submitted to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Government of India, under the Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase-II, the project has not been approved as on date.
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Sources said the delay is attributed to the MoRTH’s reluctance to approve fresh projects under Phase-II of Bharatmala Pariyojana, citing delays and cost overruns in ongoing Phase-I projects across several States and Union Territories.
“Originally, Phase-I projects were expected to be completed by 2022, but due to various impediments, including delayed acquisition of lands and cost overruns in several States and UTs, the deadline has now been extended to 2027-28,” they said.
According to sources, the proposal to upgrade the existing 61-kilometre Samba-Mansar-Udhampur road via Mansar up to Jakhaini area in Udhampur was submitted to the MoRTH by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) after the project was transferred to it by the PWD in 2022.
“Engineers from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) also conducted an alignment survey on the road, and work on the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was also initiated. Despite these steps, the project has seen no further progress due to the lack of response from the Ministry,” sources said.
Under the project, they said, construction of 9 tunnels totalling 8.5 kilometres in length, along with 5 major and 15 minor bridges was conceived in order to divert the heavy traffic from the ever-busy Samba-Jammu-Udhampur stretch of the National Highway.
The project was also believed to give a major push to tourism, especially to the scenic destination of Mansar in Samba district, they said.
Besides, it was also hoped that the upgraded road would significantly reduce the travel distance between Samba and Kashmir, benefitting both commuters and transporters.
“Inspite of the groundwork laid over the past three years, the project remains in limbo due to delay in the approval from the MoRTH,” sources said.
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