Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, Oct 6: Senior Congress leader and former Minister Ghulam Mohd Saroori launched a sharp attack on the Government, questioning why the work on the Singhpora–Vailu and Sudhmahadev-Khellani tunnels has been stalled despite the construction of the National Highway.
Appealing to the Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari, Saroori urged the immediate resumption of tunnel works, warning that from November onwards Kishtwar and the entire Chenab Valley would lose vital connectivity with Kashmir, inflicting heavy losses on farmers, traders, and the common people.
Speaking at the Singhpora-Vailu tunnel site, Saroori said Singhpora, a Panchayat area in Inderwal, is the critical point where the National Highway (NH-244) was supposed to pass through a tunnel connecting to Anantnag (Vailu). He explained that nearly 80% of the work on NH-244, which runs from Chenani to Doda, Kishtwar, and upto Singhpora, has already been completed, but the crucial tunnel work has been inexplicably halted.
Saroori questioned the Government’s intent, saying: “Why has the tunnel point been stopped when the National Highway is almost complete and was supposed to extend up to Khanabal? What reasons are there to keep it held up?”
He recalled that two years ago, the TEL company was awarded the tender, but because it had a joint venture with a Canadian company, the contract was cancelled by the then Foreign Minister. Later, even after fresh tenders were issued, the project was once again postponed citing “technical reasons,” despite the Detailed Project Report (DPR) already being completed.
Condemning this delay, Saroori pointed out that a small 300-meter stretch of unfinished road has already caused crores worth of losses to Kashmir’s farmers and fruit growers.
“This shows the Government’s deficiency and failure. Just look at how much Kashmir and its fruit growers are losing today,” he said, blaming official negligence for blocking fruit trade and livelihoods.
The Congress leader warned that with the onset of winter, the Chatroo–Sinthan Top road will close for six months starting November, cutting off Kishtwar and the Chenab Valley from Kashmir entirely. “This road closure will block the route connecting Kishtwar and the entire Chenab Valley with Kashmir,” he said.
Addressing the gathering of locals from Chatroo and Singhpora, he said: “The entire population here demands that this tunnel be completed at the earliest, because this connectivity is our lifeline for livelihood and development.”
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