Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 22: Minister for R&B, Syed Altaf Bukhari today said that upgraded double-lane Bani-Bhaderwah road will be commissioned by March 2017 while Batote-Kishtwar road has been taken over by the R&B from the BRO.
While replying to the question by Firdous Tak (PDP) in Legislative Council today Altaf Bukhari said that 184 Km Batote-Kishtwar-Sinthan road has been taken over by the Public Works Department (R&B) Jammu from the project BEACON (BRO) in the month of December 2014 and January 2015. He said the portion of 81 Kms is in the process of being handed over by BRO.
The Minister further said that presently only the works of maintenance nature are being executed to keep the road open. He said the DPR for improvement and upgradation of said road at specified points has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. He said the work shall be taken up in hand through tendering after the sanction from Union Government is received.
Mr Bukhari said that the road is sinking at some places due to various reasons which include activation of existing slides, intense deformation due to close proximity of major tectonic features, fragility of the underground rock mass, charging of material by the surface run off and filling of Baglihar dam reservoir resulting in saturation and capillary action.
The Minister said that no permission for laying the cable on river side by the Telecom Companies has been granted by R&B Department as the road was being maintained by BRO till the end of year 2014. However, project BEACON has reported that Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) work has been completed as per the laid down specifications of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
In a written reply to the question of Naresh Gupta from Congress in the Upper House, the Minister said that the road from Bani to Basohli (88 kms ), which is under Project SAMPARK is being developed to National Highway double lane specifications and the work is under progress. The likely date of completion of double lanning of this road is March 2017. A major bridge of 592 mts span is also under construction at Basohli over Ravi and it is likely to be completed in December 2017. An amount of Rs 249.69 crore has been incurred on the upgradation of said road/ bridge.
Referring to the tunnel on Bani- Basohli road at Seoj Range, the minister said that BRO has forwarded a feasibility study of Basti- Chhatargalla tunnel to Director General BRO for consideration, approval and funding. The R&B has also submitted a proposal for construction of road including tunnel connecting Bhaderwah-Bani-Basohli road at an estimated cost of Rs 1113 crore to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. But sanction is yet awaited.
Replying to another question, the minister said the road stretches from Doda-Bhaderwah and Bhaderwah- Bani have been upgraded by project BEACON and an expenditure of Rs 151.18 crore has been incurred till date. Road from Basohli to Bani is under Project SAMPARK of BRO.
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