Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 7: Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said that the work on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway will be completed in one and a half years and distance between two capitals will be covered in four hours once work is done.
The Chief Minister was speaking during a Calling Attention Notice moved by MLA Inderwal, G M Saroori of Congress in the Legislative Assembly. He said that work on the highway between Udhampur and Srinagar is being done on fast track basis and it will be completed in one and a half years time. He said that the contract of the Ramkay agency that was constructing the highway in Kashmir has been cancelled.
Mufti said that he discussed the issue of National Highway with the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Chief Minister said that connectivity is gateway to development. He said the Government is committed to providing dependable road links between Jammu and Kashmir divisions to annihilate distances.
Mufti referred to the poor condition of Srinagar- Jammu National Highway when he took over reins of power. He expressed concern over the delay in completion of National Highways Development Project in the State, which was launched during former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s tenure in 2001.
“A few drops of rains and the DGP used to inform me that the road has been closed”, Chief Minister said while referring to the improvement in condition of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway following meetings he had with the Surface Transport and National Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari to restore critical stretches between Banihal-Ramban, Ramban-Udhampur and Qazigund-Srinagar.
Mufti said that his Government is committed to provide regional connectivity by developing Kishtwar-Daksum Road via Sinthan Top as a permanent link. He highlighted the need to revive the construction of the shelved Vailoo tunnel project.
“I have been told that the proposal for construction of the tunnel has been shelved”, said Chief Minister. He said he will take up the issue with the Ministry of Road Transport so that the vital alternate road link is provided between the two regions.
Mufti said that permanent road link from Daksum via the picturesque Sinthan Top has been his dream. He said the restoration of Batote-Doda Road has been flagged and Border Roads Organisation will have to maintain the critical stretch on a long-term basis to provide vital connectivity to far-off places like Kishtwar and Bhadarwah.
Earlier, Minister for Roads and Buildings, Gardens, Parks and Floriculture, Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari while responding to Calling Attention Notice informed the House that in terms of Government of India Gazette notification dated 2 July 2014, the National Highway 1-B was entrusted to State Government’s Public Works Department.
The Minister said that the total length of road from Batote to Anantnag via Sinthan Top is 265.80 kms. He said the road stretch between Batote and Sinthan Top, falls in the jurisdiction of PWD (R&B) Jammu and from Sinthan Top to Anantnag falls in the jurisdiction of PWD (R&B) Kashmir. He said pursuant to this notification, the PW (R&B) department initiated the process of taking over the highway from BRO and 184 kms of the road was taken over from the BRO by January 2015. However, the process of taking over the remaining stretch of the road from Sinthan Top to Anantnag could not be completed because of the area being snow bound.
The Minister said the improvement and maintenance of this road has been entrusted to National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL).
Bukhari said that no funds have been received so far from Unon Ministry of Roads and Highways and National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. since taking over the road project.
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