Union Minister Jitendra Singh asks J-K authorities to expedite road highway projects

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Sunday asked the Jammu and Kashmir authorities to expedite the execution of road and highway projects, in order to make up for the delay on account of the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure that the entire project is completed partly within this year and partly by next year.

The Union Minister said the work on the Khellani-Goha road National Highway-244 will be done in double shift.

According to the Ministry of Earth Science, Dr Singh was being briefed about the status of the various National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) projects in Jammu and Kashmir from the Managing Director (MD) NHIDCL, Chanchal Kumar.

Kumar said that the minister had inspected the ongoing NHIDCL projects both in Jammu as well as in Kashmir regions and had spent nearly one and a half-hour discussing every small detail of every aspect.

He said that Singh was keen that efforts must be made to expedite the projects so that COVID-related delays could be made up to the maximum extent.

As far as the Khellani-Goha project is concerned, Singh was of the strong opinion that considering the importance of the project, the work should be undertaken in two shifts.

Kumar assured him that he will immediately issue the necessary orders and try to elicit maximum cooperation in this regard from the construction agencies and concerned contractors.

Goha-Khellani-Khannabal National Highway NH-244 linking Chenani-Sudhmahadev-Khellani-Chattroo-Khannabal will provide an alternative route of road transport, which will not only provide ease of travel and revenue but would also be important from the security point of view, the Ministry of Earth Science said.

As per the timeline fixed after the pandemic, phase-I of Goha-Khellani road is likely to be completed by December this year, while the further stretch upto Chattroo in district Kishtwar is likely to be completed by February 2023.

Meanwhile, the two-laning of Chenani-Sudhmahadev road section of NH-244 is likely to be completed by March this year except for a major bridge.

Construction of a bi-directional tunnel on the Khellani-Khannabal section has also been undertaken and it is likely to be completed by October this year at a cost of Rs 76.49 crore.

Among the projects in the Jammu district, the MD NHIDCL gave the Minister an update about the four-laning of Jammu-Akhnoor section of National Highway-144A, the ministry added.

The major NHIDCL projects in Kashmir valley about which the Minister was apprised include Zojila bi-directional tunnel, Z-Morh tunnel, upgradation of of Baramulla-Gulmarg Section of NH-701A, construction of new two-lane Anantnag Bypass connecting NH-244 and NH-44.

( With inputs from ANI )