*DPRs yet to be prepared for want of consultants
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 7: Notwithstanding the tall claims of the successive State as well as Union Governments, 4-lanning of Jammu-Akhnoor-Rajouri-Poonch National Highway has continued to remain confined to the official documents till date and keeping in view the dilly-dallying approach of the concerned agencies the work on this vital project is unlikely to begin before 2019-20.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that the previous National Conference-Congress Coalition Government in Jammu and Kashmir and Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government in the Centre made announcements on numerous occasions about prioritizing 4-lanning of Jammu-Akhnoor-Rajouri-Poonch National Highway.
Both these Governments even went to the extent of announcing that even Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of different sections of this vital National Highway have been prepared and work will begin shortly but the factual position was altogether different as no detailed survey was ever conducted on ground and project remained confined to official statements only, sources said.
Even the present PDP-BJP Coalition Government in the State and BJP Government at the Centre issued numerous statements describing 4-lanning of Jammu-Poonch Highway as one of the priority projects. However, the people started believing on these announcements only when the Union Government in the month of July last year approved eight new National Highways in Jammu and Kashmir including Jammu-Akhnoor-Nowshera-Rajouri-Poonch NH, which was even named as NH 144-A.
This announcement was substantiated by the Union Government by keeping the same in the Prime Minister’s Development Package announced on November 7, 2015. In this package, an amount of Rs 5100 crore has been earmarked for Jammu-Akhnoor-Rajouri-Poonch National Highway 144-A.
Accordingly, 4-lanning of Jammu-Akhnoor stretch was handed over to National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL)-a fully owned company of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and Akhnoor-Poonch stretch was given to Border Roads Organization (BRO) with the direction to complete all the formalities as early as possible so that work on the project is started on the ground, sources said.
However, the work on 4-lanning of Jammu-Akhnoor-Rajouri-Poonch is unlikely to begin before 2019-20 as even basic exercise in this regard has not been completed till date, sources said while disclosing that both NHIDCL and BRO have yet not prepared even the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of their respective work.
As far as 4-lanning of Jammu-Akhnoor section is concerned, sources said that NHIDCL had floated tenders for engaging consultancy services for carrying out feasibility study, preparation of Detailed Project Report and providing pre-construction services but the same received very little response with only one company expressing interest in executing the task. This resulted into NHIDCL floating one more tender and this exercise has not reached its logical conclusion till date, they added.
“The delay in engaging consultancy services for feasibility study and preparation of Detailed Project Reports is notwithstanding the fact that 4-lanning of Jammu-Akhnoor stretch is of immense importance keeping in view frequent traffic jamming on this National Highway”, sources said while disclosing that not only Jammu-Akhnoor NH 4-lanning the NHIDCL has also failed to start work on other road projects entrusted to it by the MoRTH.
“Similarly, the process of preparation of Detailed Project Report by BRO for Akhnoor-Poonch stretch has yet not reached the logical conclusion till date”, sources informed.
Stating that work on 4-lanning of Jammu-Akhnoor-Rajouri-Poonch National Highway is unlikely to begin before 2019-20, sources said that following completion of present tendering process, the selected consultancy services will take time in preparation of DPRs which will then be approved by the MoRTH before release of funds for the execution of project.
Following approval of DPRs, the NHIDCL and BRO will have to float fresh tenders for allotment of works for execution on ground and prior to this land will have to be acquired in many areas, which otherwise is a very complicated process in Jammu and Kashmir, sources said, adding “unless all the concerned agencies show swiftness in completion of their respective task the project will remain distant dream in the coming years also”.
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