Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Feb 3: While the work on two laning of Akhnoor -Jourian road will be completed in six to seven months, the Centre may soon grant its consent to State Government’s request regarding four laning of busy Jammu -Akhnoor Highway, the initial proposal of which is lying with Surface Transport Ministry, Government of India for approval.
According to high placed sources after fully examining the State Government’s memorandum and seeking the views of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the Defence Ministry submitted it to Union Surface Transport Ministry with its consent but the later has not given its nod as yet. However, the authorities in State Government are confident that Surface Transport Ministry will also clear the project soon in view of the communication the public representatives of the area had with the Ministry which in principal had too agreed to approve the same, sources added.
Sources said the Centre Government is under tremendous pressure as there is a lot of public outcry over the delay in four laning of Akhnoor road on which traffic has increased many fold over last some years resulting in daily accidents.
The State Government has also approached the Union Government at a number of times in this regard and the concerned public representatives of the area have written letters to Union Government seeking early approval to the proposal in view of the increasing traffic pressure on this Highway.
Sources said that Defense Ministry raised many queries to the State Government’s request and it sought the report from the BRO before giving its consent to the same.
Sources said the proposal was initially delayed as the Army has not given the No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the widening of the road but after the issue has been taken up with Army authorities by MP Jammu and Poonch Parliamentary Constituency, Madan Lal Sharma, the Army too agreed to give its consent to the project. Mr Sharma also met the Army Chief, GOC Northern Command and other senior officers in this regard. “The Army has now given the clearance and soon there will be a good news that this project has been approved’’, said Mr Sharma.
Expressing his optimism about the project, he said “the proposal is on final stage and soon it will be approved by the Union Government as I am in constant touch with them’’.
He said the Army had earlier created some objections but later “we persuaded them and asked them to accord permission for widening of road from Canal to Akhnoor Bye Pass a strip of 25 kilometres and they agreed to it’’.
Mr Sharma said in view of increasing traffic rush on this road, the Government is also keen about its widening. The road from Akhnoor to Poonch has already been double lanned and work is on the double laning of Akhnoor to Jourian road, he added.
The sources said that the State Government has already approached Centre regarding the four laning of the road and the Defence Ministry after examining it has also sought the views from BRO, which gave its clearance with the report that widening of the road was direly needed in view of tremendous traffic pressure on it.
The Defense Ministry after its approval has sent the proposal to Surface Transport Ministry and after it is okayed by the Centre a detailed survey report along with estimates will be submitted to Centre for approval.
The sources said 70 percent work on two laning of Jourian-Akhnoor road has been completed and the remaining work which is going on full swing will be completed within six to seven months. The work for widening of the road was started a year back, sources added.
However the widening of Akhnoor road as well as Poonch road will be useless unless and until the Jammu Akhnoor road is widened, sources said, adding with the increasing pressure of traffic on this Highway the traffic jams for long duration are witnessed every where on this road especially from BSF Paloura to Muthi.
The problem has been compounded with the opening of various private schools on the road side coupled with construction of marriage halls. The situation has become so grave that in last three months from November 1 to January 31 a total number of 49 accidents took place on this road only in the area falling under the jurisdiction of Damana Police Station in which seven people lost their lives also.
The increasing accidents on the road has resulted in public outcry and people of surrounding villages held demonstrations on the road and blocked traffic several times in past demanding its widening.
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