KL Report
SRINAGAR
Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah has reiterated his directions to the National Companies executing various flagship programmes and mega projects in the State to ensure employment of locals both in skilled and non-skilled disciplines of work. He said State government has embarked upon an ambitious programme of upgrading skills of local youth to enable them fit in the technical staff of the executors of different projects particularly in the power and road communication sectors.
“You should absorb all the available human resource in the projects you are executing besides giving preference to the local traders, contractors, transporters and others to undertake works of different nature you are supposed to outsource in the process of execution of the projects”, he emphasised upon the executing agencies.
Inspecting the status of 4-lanning of Jammu-Srinagar Highway from Jammu to Udhampur on Thursday, the Chief Minister said that economic welfare of locals to the maximum should be ensured while executing the works and completing the projects. “Local youth should have priority preference in getting jobs in the projects being executed by the private and Central companies in the State”, he said and directed the Revenue Department and the National Highway Authority of India to work in close coordination for disbursement of compensation to the families whose land is being acquired for the construction of the road.
The Chief Minister who was accompanied by Minister for R&B, Abdul Majid Wani stopped at Sidhra, Nagrota Bypass, Ban-Toll Plaza, Tunnel-3 south portal at Nandani, Jhajjar Kotli Bridge and Udhampur Bye Pass to receive firsthand account of the status of work on the construction of 4-lane National Highway from Jammu to Udhampur. This is the part of the regular monitoring being conducted by the Chief Minister to receive the status of the work and help in accelerating the pace on 4-laning of National Highway Project being executed by National Highway Authority of India.
Omar Abdullah highlighting the economic importance of this project while talking to the engineers and other officials of the construction company said that 4-laning of National Highway would not only enhance and upgrade the accessibility to the Valley from other parts of the Country but help in a big way to generate economic activities and jobs for people in different fields of development.
It was informed that 5.12 kilometers Jammu Bye Pass, 11.70 kilometers Nagrota Bye Pass and 18-19 Kilometers Udhampur Bye Pass have been completed.
While presenting the silent features of the project, the officials of National Highway Authority of India said that construction of 4-laning of Jammu-Udhampur Highway involves construction of 64 major and 61 minor 2-lane bridges, 220 culverts and 4 twin tube tunnels. They spelt out working schedule and the time frame for completion of this stretch of the project. It was stated a state of art Toll Plaza at Kilometre 22 in Village Ban at the end of Nagrota Bye Pass with automatic vehicle classifier and count, weigh in motion bridge, medical aids, ambulances, cranes and highway traffic patrol is part of the project. The Chief Minister appreciated the work of National Highway Authority of India and also laid stress on time bound completion of the works.
The Chief Minister also interacted with people at various places and received their brief about the status of progress on the project. They also apprised the Chief Minister about various works executed in different development sectors in their areas.
Legislator and Provincial President, National Conference, Jammu Devender Singh Rana, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu and IG Jammu were also accompanied the Chief Minister.
