LG expresses gratitude to PM, Minister
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 8: In a major boost to road connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister of Roads Transport and Highways (MoRTH) Nitin Gadkari today approved Rs 1917.32 crore for Jakh-Kunjwani section of National Highway-44 to 6-lane Expressway standards as part of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha immediately welcomed the announcement and expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nitin Gadkari.
Gadkari approved the revised cost estimate of Rs 1917.32 crore for the project through a series of tweets this morning.
The project is being constructed under Bharatmala Pariyojana in Jammu and Kashmir on Hybrid Annuity Mode.
“The project for development of Jakh (Vijaypur)-Kunjwani section of National Highway-44 to 6-lane Expressway standards as part of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway including development of Kunjwani to 4th Tawi bridge section of National Highway 144A to four-lane NH standards has been approved at the revised cost estimate of Rs 1917.32 crore under Bharatmala Pariyojana in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir on Hybrid Annuity Mode,” Gadkari said in his tweets.
Through another tweet, he said: “Once completed, the stretch would boost connectivity to Jammu Airport”.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, on behalf of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister of Road Transport and Highway Nitin Gadkari.
“These projects are the road of J&K’s destiny that will accelerate the development, meet aspirations of people and facilitate ease of living,” Sinha said.
The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway will have a total length of 669 kilometers and will be developed at a total cost of about Rs 39,500 crore.
“The Expressway will halve travel time from Delhi to Amritsar and Delhi to Katra,” sources said.
They added that the Greenfield Expressway will connect key Sikh religious sites at Sultanpur Lodhi, Goindwal Sahib, Khadoor Sahib, Tarn Taran and holy Hindu shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji.
The Expressway will also connect key economic centres like Ambala, Chandigarh, Mohali, Sangrur, Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Kathua and Samba in four States/Union Territories of Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said the pilgrims visiting holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji will be major beneficiaries with construction of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway especially those travelling by road from Northern Indian States/Union Territories of New Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh as the Expressway will sharply reduce travel time.
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