KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Describing connectivity as gateway to development, Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Wednesday said the government is committed to provide dependable road links between Jammu and Kashmir divisions to annihilate distances.
Identifying connectivity as top priority of the government, he said once the work on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is completed, the journey between the two capital cities will take no more than four hours.
The Chief Minister was speaking during a Calling Attention Notice moved by MLA Inderwal, G. M. Saroori, in the Legislative Assembly today.
The Chief Minister referred to the poor condition of Srinagar- Jammu National Highway when he took over reins of power. He noted with concern the delay in completion of National Highways Development Project in J&K, 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,” he said, while referring to the improvement in condition of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway following meetings he had with the Surface Transport & National Highways Minister, Nitin Gadkari, to restore critical stretches between Banihal-Ramban, Ramban-Udhampur and Qazigund-Srinagar.
Reiterating his commitment to provide regional connectivity by developing Kishtwar-Daksum Roadvia Sinthan Top as a permanent link, the Chief Minister 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,” he said and added that 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.
“Permanent road link from Daksum via the picturesque Sinthan Top has been my dream,” he added.
The Chief Minister said the restoration of Batote-Doda Road has been flagged and Border Roads Organization will have to maintain the critical stretch on a long-term basis to provide vital connectivity to far-off places like Kishtwar and Bhadarwah.
Speaking on the issue of distribution of ration as per 2011 Census, the Chief Minister asked the CA&PD Department to broaden the scope of its distribution network by providing essential commodities like edible oil to the people at a lower cost.
