Mughal Road to open after snow melts
JAMMU: Minister for Roads and Building, G. M. Saroori today said that the historic Mughal Road, connecting Jammu region with the Kashmir region, will be thrown open for light motor vehicles after the snow melts.
Interacting with several deputations here this morning, the Minister said that the 84-km road project is being constructed at a total estimated cost of Rs. 639 crore and a cumulative expenditure of Rs. 340 crore has been booked so far.
Dwelling on the broad contours of the project, Saroori said a whooping Rs. 85 crore alone stands utilized during this fiscal and the concerned executing agencies and engineers have been directed to clear all pre-requisits for floating tenders of various bridges along the road. The road would be completed in all respects by 2011, he said while indicating that it is likely to be thrown open for light vehicles, after melting of snow along higher stretches of the road. He said due to heavy snowfall, the work at Peer-ki-Gali got delayed by two months and now the department has installed fabricated structures for labourers and machinery at the site to expedite the pace. He said the work has been re-started at various stretches near Peer-ki-Gali while the road stretch from Bafflias to Poonch is already apace at a cost of Rs. 43 crore.
The Minister gave a wider scenario of road connectivity in the State and said that 450 hamlets have been provided connectivity this year, while work on under construction 119 bridges at various places across the State, would be completed by March end.
Under Prime Ministers’ Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Phase-VII, the Minister said more unconnected villages and hamlets would be connected with nearest urban centers during the next financial year. He said, under the programme, the construction of 50 new bridges, costing Rs. 50 crore, has been sanctioned by the Centre and the work on these bridges would be started by April next.
Saroori said that the matteling and re-mixing works on the roads, wherever necessary, would also be started by April next instead of June-July for completing the work within the working season. In this regard the R&B Ministry has approached Finance Department for early release of funds, he added.
The Minister said that work on 4-laning of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway would be started early next financial year, adding that process of tenders and other codal formalities have already been initiated. He said the execution of 197 ongoing bridges, 102 in Kashmir Division and 95 in the Jammu Division would be completed by July next. He said construction of roads and bridges, taken up by Economic Re-construction Agency (ERA), is also in full swing and these works are expected to be completed within stipulated time frame.
Giving details about construction work of some other prestigious road projects, the Minister said that construction work on Chattru-Wailoo-Simthan Top Road is apace at a cost of Rs. 70 crore. He said construction work on Bhaderwah-Chamba road, involving Rs. 73 crore is also in full swing.
The Minister said work on Batote-Kishtwar-Simthan Road being carried out by BEACON is also apace and would be completed in a time bound manner. He said upgradation work on Narbal-Tangmarg and Moulana Azad roads, Srinagar is also going smoothly.
Saroori said that snow clearance work on Kupwara-Tangdar and Gurez-Bandipora roads have been started through Border Road Organization and it would be ensured that these roads are opened at the earliest, for the convenience of the inhabitants of these areas. He said snow clearance work on Marwah-Inshan road would be started by April next.
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