Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Aug 9: The Central Government has cleared biggest ever Rs 2842 crore road package for Jammu and Kashmir, which includes 513 roads and 29 bridges in the State.
Highly placed sources told the Excelsior that Union Ministry of Rural Department in a communiqué to the Commissioner/ Secretary to Government, Roads and Buildings Department, J&K has conveyed that the Ministry has approved project proposals under PMGSY-I (Phase X), worth Rs 2842.32 crore. The approved package not only covers the projects under new road connectivity, but 86 existing roads having total length of 787 kms with the cost of Rs 837 crores have also been cleared for up-gradation.
The sources further disclosed that Central Government under PMGSY provided Rs 3200 crore in 16 years against the road proposals worth Rs 5100 crore for nine phases. The PMGSY Projects were launched in the country during 2001. For the Tenth Phase of the Project , the R&B Department of the State had sent the proposal worth Rs 3600 crore. This whopping amount of Rs 2842 crore has been cleared for just one phase (10th under Stage I and Stage II).
This time some important roads which needed immediate upgradation and special attention were also included in the Project, Phase X with the special efforts of the Minister for R&B, Abdul Rehman Veeri. Giving emphasis on the remote and far-flung areas like Kishtwar-Inshan- Marwah -Anantnag; Kishtwar-Nawapachi road; Billawar- Macheddi road; Bani block in Kathua, Uri in Baramulla, Paddar in Kishtwar, remote areas of Doda, Bhaderwah, Kupwara, Poonch, Rajouri, Mahore in Reasi and Dudu-Basantgarh in Udhampur, besides remote areas of Kargil and Leh districts, the Union RDD Ministry has approved many important existing old roads of these areas for upgradation, sources maintained.
Under new connectivity, 303 roads under Stage I with the cost of Rs 1474. 35 crore and 124 roads under Stage II with the cost of Rs 479.34 crore will be taken up for construction. These included 11 road projects with 1000 plus habitations, 25 roads with 500 plus habitations, 383 roads having habitations above 250 and 176 roads having less than 250 habitations. A total 1935.88 kms road length in Stage I and 797 kms road length under Stage II of new connectivity is being covered.
Under road upgradation projects for which in many hilly areas, the public was raising hue and cry, total 86 number of roads having 787 kms length with the cost of Rs 837.36 crore are being taken up shortly. The sources said that at least one month time will take for the sanctioning / allotment of the road projects and within two months, the work would be started.
Besides roads, 29 new bridges with the cost of Rs 51.27 crore and having total length of 1217.50 mts are being constructed under Phase X of PMGSY in the State. Some important bridges have also covered this time under Phase X projects, the sources said.
The Central share in the total project would be worth Rs 2558.09 crore while rest of the amount will be the State share, the sources added.
The sources further said that for the accelerated execution of PMGSY, the Union Ministry of Rural Development in consultation with the Ministry for Finance and the States, has formulated an action plan and communicated to the State to advance the completion target of the programme from March 2022 to March 2019. With the changed fund sharing pattern, the total annual financial inflows to PMGSY for the year 2016-17 is Rs 27000 crore including share of Rs 8000 crore for the States in the country. However, during the performance review committee meet held in New Delhi, the committee for the purpose was not happy with the performance of the Scheme during first quarter in J&K.
It was pointed out that against the annual target of 1050 km road length to be achieved during the year 2016-17, the State has reported to have completed just 15.05 kms up to May 2016, which is just 1 % of the annual target. The achievement was found to be below the national average. It was pointed out that the R&T target of the State during 2016-17 is 213 kms which is with in over all target of road length allocated to the State, that is 1050 kms. The committee cautioned that in case State does not have new sanctions to achieve the target under R&D during the current year, the SRRDA may convert the already sanctioned roads to any IRC approved new technologies with the approval of NRRDA.
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