Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 9: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today called for timely completion of the widening of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and asked the executing agencies to ensure that maximum employment in the works was given to the local youth.
Speaking to the executing agencies after inspecting the status of 4-laning of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway from Jammu to Udhampur, the work on which was apace, Omar called upon the agencies engaged in construction work to ensure that maximum weightage was given to local youth in the employment.
“The local youth, traders, transporters and other stake holders should benefit from the projects of national importance,” he said, adding the State Government has been training the local youths in skill development, which can be used by the work executing agencies.
Omar said instead of outsourcing the jobs, the public and private companies should employ local youth in flagship programmes and mega projects so that the local people benefited out of the development works in the State.
“The national companies executing various flagship programmes and mega projects in the State should ensure employment of locals both in skilled and non-skilled disciplines of work,” he added.
“Local youth should have priority preference in getting jobs in the projects being executed by the private and Central companies in the State,” the Chief Minister said.
Omar said the economic welfare of locals to the maximum should be ensured while executing the works.
“You should absorb all the available human resource in the projects you are executing besides giving preference to the local traders, contractors, transporters and others to undertake works of different nature,” he said.
Omar said the State Government had taken several initiatives including an ambitious programme to upgrade skills of local youth for technical work particularly for projects in the power and road communication sector.
He also directed the Revenue Department and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to work in close coordination for disbursement of compensation to the families whose land is being acquired for the construction of the road.
The Chief Minister, who was accompanied by J&K Minister for Roads and Buildings (R&B) Abdul Majid Wani, stopped at Sidhra, Nagrota Bye Pass, Ban-Toll Plaza, Tunnel-3 south portal at Nandani, Jhajjar Kotli Bridge and Udhampur Bye Pass to receive first-hand account of the work status on the construction of 4-lane NH from Jammu to Udhampur.
The inspection carried out today was part of Chief Mnister’s regular monitoring on the status of work being carried out on the 4-laning of NH Project by NHAI.
Highlighting the importance of this project, Omar said it would not only enhance and upgrade the accessibility to the Valley from other parts of the country but help in generating economic activities and jobs for people of the State.
The NHAI officials informed the Chief Minister that 5.12 kilometers Jammu Bye Pass, 11.70 kilometers Nagrota Bye Pass and 18-19 kilometers Udhampur Bye Pass have been completed.
The Chief Minister appreciated the work of NHAI and also laid stress on time bound completion of the works.
He also interacted with people at various places and received their brief about the progress on the project.
Omar said that 4-laning of National Highway would not only enhance and upgrade the accessibility to the Valley from other parts of the country but help in a big way to generate economic activities and jobs for people in different fields of development.
While presenting the silent features of the project, the officials of National Highway Authority of India said that construction of 4-laning of Jammu-Udhampur Highway involves construction of 64 major and 61 minor 2-lane bridges, 220 culverts and 4 twin tube tunnels. They spelt out working schedule and the time frame for completion of this stretch of the project.
It has stated a state of art Toll Plaza at Kilometer 22 in Village Ban at the end of Nagrota Bye Pass with automatic vehicle classifier and count, weigh in motion bridge, medical aids, ambulances, cranes and highway traffic patrol is part of the project. The Chief Minister appreciated the work of National Highway Authority of India and also laid stress on time bound completion of the works.
The Chief Minister also interacted with people at various places and received their brief about the status of progress on the project. They also apprised the Chief Minister about various works executed in different development sectors in their areas.
Legislator and provincial president, National Conference, Jammu Devender Singh Rana, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Shantmanu and IGP Jammu Rajesh Kumar also accompanied the Chief Minister.
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