Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Aug 25: Neglected by the R&B authorities, the fate of 65 kms long Billawar- Bani road, a shortest alternative to Bani from Jammu via Billawar hangs in balance, as even after long 36 years, hardly 11 kms road could be constructed by the State authorities.
Though R&B authorities claimed to have made 27 kms of this road motorable, yet 10 kms from Billawar to Katli and hardly one kilometer from Bani side could be completed in all respects with blacktopping. Rest of the 16 kms portion of this road is still ‘Kucha’ and yet to be blacktopped.
This important road of district Kathua is the worst example of utter neglect by the legislators from remote Bani constituency as a population of over 50,000 from Bani constituency and people from Billawar Sub Divisional have been deprived of this crucial road link.
Unfortunately, even after 70 years of Independence, the helpless people from Lohai- Malhar and Machhedi areas, which are also part of Bani constituency, could not have direct road communication with the Sub Divisional headquarters, Bani. The area is though closer to Billawar town but people of this area have to cover over 165 kms distance to reach Bani via Billawar and Basohli for any work at Bani headquarters.
From Basohli, Bani is about 84 kms. But if, this road is made motorable, the people from Lohai- Malhar belt will have to cover hardly 40 kms of distance to reach Bani.
Sources in the R&B authorities told the Excelsior that from Billawar side, the pace of work on the road remained better than the other side of Bani due to the initiative taken by the Legislators from Billawar constituency, but it took more than three decades to the authorities to construct 19 kms road up to Katli from Billawar Sub Divisional headquarters.
Out of this portion, only 10 km road is Pucca while 9 kms road is still fair-weather/ Kucha . From Bani side, only 8 kms road up to Duggan has been made motorable so far and just one kms is Pucca while rest 7 kms is still Kucha, after the work of 16 long years. If this will be the pace of work, it may take three more decades to complete this road project.
The figures compiled from R&B/ PMGSY authorities, have exposed the functioning of the department and slackness on the part of concerned engineers and utter neglect by the MLAs and of course, the senior officers at the helm of affairs who never bothered to take review of the works from time to time. They perhaps never took the cognizance of such a slow pace of work on this road project , as in over 36 years, hardly 11 kms road could be made Pucca, out of the total length of 65 kms.
Executive Engineer PMGSY Billawar, Mr Bhagat disclosed that out of the 19 kms road from Billawar to Katli, 10 kms has been completed and next 9 kms road has been approved for upgradation under 10th Phase of the PMGSY. He said the total project cost is Rs 9.60 crore and work on this road would start in October.
Another 14 kms road stretch of Billawar-Machhedi road from Gath to Machhedi, with the cost of Rs 11 crore under PMGSY (10th phase) has been approved recently and work would start shortly. With this, Billawar Machhedi road will be completed in 18 months. And also 9 kms stretch of Billawar-Bani road up to Katli under upgradation will be made Pucca in one and half year.
Suman Bhaskar, Executive Engineer, R&B Division Basohli said that next 13 kms road stretch of this road from Katli onward up to Deri Gali, is with the R&B. He said the project has been submitted under CRF to the Government. Many contractors do not come forward for the construction work on the road and this is also one of the reasons for the delay. Forest clearance and litigation were also the other reasons for it.
He said paucity of funds was yet another reason and they all contributed for the delay in the completion of this project. He also disclosed that from Bani side 6 kms road had been handed over to ERA in the beginning but the contractor did some work and then abandoned it for 7-8 years.
There was no progress at all but no body took serious note of it at that time. Later this road was handed over to the R&B and since then Bani Sub Division of R&B is initiating the work. He said that about 8 kms road up to Duggan has been made motorable but one km road has been blacktopped so far. For second and third kilometer, the tenders have been floated and the work would start shortly.
Chief Engineer, PMGSY Jammu region, Hamid Sheikh said that next 13 kms road from Katli onwards has been approved under PMGSY and the work would start shortly. He said 9 kms road for upgradation and blacktopping has been taken up under 10th phase of PMGSY. Sheikh said that out of the 34 roads of district Kathua submitted to the Centre under PMGSY, 32 have been approved. The process of tendering the works has been commenced and the work on these newly approved roads will be started within next 2-3 months, the Chief Engineer maintained.
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