LS MP hails Modi Govt for approval of tunnel
*UT people jubilant over all-weather connectivity
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that his Government will leave no stone unturned to make life easier for the people of Ladakh.
He made the comment tagging a tweet by BJP’s Lok Sabha Member from Ladakh Jamyang Tsering Namgyal in which he said the Modi Government approved Rs 1681.51 crore for construction of 4.1-km-long Shinkun La tunnel to be completed by 2025 to provide all-weather connectivity to Ladakh.
“The residents of Lungnak Valley of Zanskar, the most backward region of Ladakh, welcomed and thanked Modi Ji for this decision,” the Lok Sabha MP from the Union Territory said.
Tagging his tweet, Modi, in a tweet in Hindi, said, “We will leave no stone unturned to make life easier for the people of Ladakh.”
People of Ladakh have been jubilant over decision taken by the Union Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing all-weather connectivity to Ladakh with construction of 4.1 kilometres long Shinkun La tunnel. The tunnel is proposed to be completed by 2025.
The all-weather connectivity will not only benefit the people of entire Union Territory of Ladakh but will also help the Army to transport supplies to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh throughout the year. Presently, Srinagar-Leh National Highway remains closed for four to five months of the winter due to heavy snowfall.
The people have to take aerial route from Leh for visiting Jammu, New Delhi or other parts of the country due to blockade of Srinagar-Leh National Highway during the winters.
It was Darcha-Padam-Nimu route which was used by the troops for transporting weaponry to Eastern Ladakh after confrontation with China in the Eastern Ladakh in May 2020. The BRO constructed black top road on this route in 2019 but it could not be used in winter months due to heavy snow on 16703 feet high Shinkun La.
The road is critical to the defence of Ladakh as it is sheltered from both Pakistani and Chinese long range artillery or missile firing unlike the exposed Srinagar-Drass-Kaksar-Kargil highway near LoC and the Manali-Upshi-Leh highway near the LAC respectively.
The Cabinet had cleared the tunnel and the approach roads on both sides at the cost of Rs1681.51 crore. Since the BRO has already done road cutting and black topping of the approaches on both sides to Shinkun La, the Government will now only have to complete the 4.1 km underground pass, sources said.
Nimu in Ladakh is close to Kargil as well as Leh. This means that the Indian Army can do faster deployment of forces and equipment if a situation flares up in Kargil-Siachen sector or in Eastern Ladakh.
The Shinkun La tunnel will provide all-weather road connectivity to Ladakh and this will be the shortest route to the border areas of the Union Territory.
“This (project) is also very important as far as the security and safety of the country is concerned…. It will also help in the movement of our security forces in that region,” sources said.
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