SRINAGAR: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday laid the foundation stone for 110 road projects worth Rs 1,503.53 crore under PMGSY-IV across five districts of Jammu and Kashmir, with the projects expected to add nearly 598 km of rural road connectivity and benefit around 46,972 people.
The projects, sanctioned under Batch-I of 2026-27, will cover Kathua, Udhampur, Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar districts, strengthening connectivity in remote and hilly areas of the Udhampur-Kathua-Doda Parliamentary constituency and adjoining regions.
Dr Singh, who is Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, said the latest package reflected the Centre’s continued focus on extending all-weather road connectivity to remote villages and difficult terrain.
According to the district-wise breakup, Udhampur will receive the largest share with 44 projects covering 235.040 km at an estimated cost of Rs 554.90 crore. Kathua will get 24 projects spanning 128.925 km at a cost of about Rs 307.12 crore.
Doda will have 13 projects covering 90.180 km with an outlay of around Rs 260.66 crore, while Kishtwar will receive 16 projects covering 83.950 km at a cost of approximately Rs 224.88 crore. Ramban will get 13 projects covering 60.360 km with a sanctioned cost of nearly Rs 154.97 crore.
Dr Singh said improved road infrastructure would ease access to schools, healthcare facilities, markets and employment opportunities, particularly for residents of remote villages. He said better connectivity would also benefit senior citizens, students and women who had previously faced difficulties travelling during adverse weather conditions.
The Union Minister also highlighted the strategic importance of road connectivity in remote and difficult terrain, saying improved infrastructure would facilitate quicker movement of security forces and support security operations in vulnerable areas.
A number of the projects will incorporate waste plastic in road construction, according to the project details, as part of efforts to promote more sustainable construction practices.
Dr Singh said Udhampur had consistently ranked among the country’s top three districts in terms of PMGSY road projects, attributing the expansion of rural connectivity to the priority accorded to the constituency over the past 12 years.
He also referred to an allocation announced earlier this year, under which the Udhampur-Kathua-Doda constituency received around 43 per cent of Jammu and Kashmir’s total PMGSY allocation, with Rs 1,524 crore earmarked from the Union Territory’s overall allocation of Rs 3,566 crore.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary said Jammu and Kashmir was on a path of development and assured that concerns raised by people would be addressed. He stressed that contractors executing the projects must adhere to prescribed standards and said there would be no compromise on the quality of construction.
Choudhary said strict action would be taken against shortcomings in the execution of works and added that tendering and bidding processes were being conducted in accordance with prescribed standards.
Several legislators attended the programme, including Pawan Kumar Gupta, Balwant Singh Mankotia, Rajiv Jasrotia, Sajad Shaheen, Dr Sunil Bharadwaj, Arjun Singh Raju, Pyare Lal Sharma, Ranbir Singh Pathania, Darshan Kumar and Satish Kumar Sharma. MLA Shakti Parihar joined virtually, while Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma addressed the gathering through a video message.
The legislators raised issues concerning their respective constituencies, including forest clearances and defaults by contractors. Dr Singh and the Deputy Chief Minister assured them that the concerns would be taken up for early resolution to expedite development works and improve connectivity in the affected areas.
