Banihal Cart Road, usually called B.C. Road was actually built by the Dogra rulers sometimes towards the closing years of the later part of 19th century. Previously, it was only a mountain track used by the local people along the 205 odd kilometers stretch between Srinagar and Jammu. Though Dogra rulers would travel via Rawalpindi to Kashmir and via Sialkot to Jammu also, yet the kingdom thought that viable road connectivity between Srinagar and Jammu was strategically and economically unavoidable. It was called Cart Road because only carts driven by horses would ply on it and the journey from Srinagar to Jammu took about a week with halting stations at reasonable distances. During the rule of the last of the Dogra rulers, the BC Road was improved and widened but not made pucca meaning with black topping.
This link with very little significance during the Dogra rule suddenly came into prominence with the accession of the State to the Indian Union as a result of tribal attack on the borders and even mainland of the state in the third week of October 1947. The State formally acceded to the Indian Union. Turning the BC road into a good asphalted road fit for movement of light as well as heavy vehicles and strong and dependable bridges over numerous nullahs including the Chenab at Ramban was an unavoidable necessity. In particular this was more urgent keeping in mind the need for movement of troops and military equipment to the valley and Ladakh. Day after day, it became clear to the authorities that the BC Road now converted into National Highway A-1 under the nomenclature of the Union Surface Transport Ministry that its four laning was unavoidable. In 2011 the project of four laning of entire National Highway from Jammu to Srinagar was approved. The project work was allotted to Hyderabad-based construction company Ramky Infrastructure by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The project was initially set to be completed in year 2014 but it missed its targeted deadline due to slow work pace. The task of four laning was divided into segments and Srinagar – Banihal stretch formed one segment of the entire project. Likewise there are other segments like the Jammu – Udhampur segment and Udhampur Banihal segment etc. The Srinagar – Banihal segment has been delayed beyond expectation and now the Ramky Co. says that four laning will be completed by the end of the current year.
Eyebrows have been raised why Ramky could not bring about completion of the project by the end of 2014 and why has it stretched the work to the end of 2017 which means a delay of three years. We understand that this construction company has argued that owing to floods of 2014, unrest of 2016 summer, inclement weather and abandonment of work by the labour force that had been brought by it from outside the state all combined to force suspension of work on the project and hence the delay. But the Union Road Transport authorities who had given the contract to this company have their own arguments to accuse the Ramky of lethargy and lackadaisical attitude in conducting the construction. Their argument is that when the Jammu-Udhampur stretch which is mountainous has been completed in time why not the Srinagar – Banihal stretch which is plain and not mountainous at all? There could be reasons and counter reasons on both sides. At least one strong reason that absolves the Ramky is that land acquisition is a very complicated and time consuming part of the task and that has been a major reason for delay in the completion of Srinagar-Banihal stretch.
Whatever the situation, let us hope that as per the commitment made by the Vice Chairman of Ramky Co the stretch will be completed and by the end of this year four laning will become a reality for the Srinagar – Banihal stretch. This has become extremely important in view of the great traffic rush and recurrent jams occurring on this part of the National Highway.
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