Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, May 24: The Central Government is likely to declare Rajouri-Poonch-Mughal road as well as Domail-Katra-Reasi road as National Highways for their development and maintenance as per specified standards.
According to the highly placed authoritative sources, the proposals for declaring both the vital roads as National Highway are under active consideration of the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highway, Government of Indian and a final decision in this regard is likely to be taken very soon.
Both Rajouri-Poonch-Mughal Road and Domail-Katra-Reasi road have qualified the eligibility criteria for being declared as National Highways and the proposals in this regard are awaiting Union Cabinet nod, which got delayed due to Modal Code of Conduct in the wake of recently held Lok Sabha polls, sources explained.
Once declared as National Highway, the two vital roads will get hundred percent Central funding for development and maintenance by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) as per the specific standards.
Pertinent to mention that the National Highways Authority of India is responsible for the development, maintenance and management of National Highways entrusted to it and for matters connected or incidental thereto. The Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highway declares a road National Highway after assessing various eligibility criteria, which include its connectivity with existing National Highway, major route, strategic or commercial importance etc.
The proposal for declaring Mughal road as National Highway was forwarded by the State Government to the Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highway, more than a year ago, sources informed.
Despite being ready after spending more than Rs 800 crore rupees in a decade time, the Mughal road still remains closed for more than six months from November-December to May-June due to extreme weather conditions and snowfall.
The passage needs stabilization work and a seven kilometer long tunnel at Peer Ki Gali to make it all weather road but the Department of R&B, J&K Government is unable to do the same due to financial constraints, sources said.
Even as technical investigations and pre-feasibility tests were undertaken by the R&B for a tunnel at high altitude Peer Ki Gali besides road stability measures such as rock bolting, rock nailing, geo grids and hydro seeding etc at ten to fifteen stretches, there was no sufficient progress due to financial constraints, sources explained adding that declaration of Mughal Road as National Highway will pave the way for development of this alternative passage to Kashmir valley as all weather road.
Similarly, sources said, the NHAI is also learnt to have agreed in principle for according National Highway status to Domail-Katra- Reasi road linking it with Rojouri, sources informed adding that a large population of Jammu Kashmir besides the visiting tourists as well as Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims would be benefited by the proposed move.
However, even after declaration of these two roads as National Highway the Centre would require No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the State Government and environmental clearances from the Union Ministry of Environment & Forests for development of these passages as per National Highway specifications.
It may be mentioned here that the State Government had recently rejected the Centre’s move to declare the Khannabal-Panjtarni road in Anantnag district as a National Highway and refused to grant NOC to the proposal claiming environmental concerns.
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