Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 3: Minister for Roads and Buildings, Naeem Akhtar, today informed the Lower House that the State Government has submitted 289 road projects involving an estimated cost of Rs 2488.06 crore to NABARD and CRF to be taken up across the State during the current financial year.
Replying to the question of Haji Abdul Rashid, he further informed that 26 more road projects, estimated to cost Rs 72.26 crore, have been proposed for 2018-19 and submitted to the concerned funding agencies including Planning Development & Monitoring Department (PD&MD) under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF).
Choudhary Sukhnandhan Kumar raised supplementary regarding construction of Ring Road passing through his constituency and called for safeguarding the interests of farmers whose land has been acquired for the purpose.
Meanwhile, the Minister informed that twelve roads have been completed and thrown open for vehicular traffic during past two years in Chenani constituency.
Responding to a question by Dina Nath Bhagat, the Minister said that seven road projects with 17 kilometre length were completed at a cost of Rs 10.16 crore in the year 2016-17, while five road projects of 40 km length were completed at a cost of Rs 24.15 crore in the current financial year. He said the roads will connect as many as 12 habitations of the area and will provide relief to thousands of the people residing in these habitations.
The Minister further informed the House that an amount of Rs 21.33 crore has been released as compensation to Revenue Department for the owners whose land has been acquired for the construction of roads under PMGSY in Chenani constituency. He said the Revenue Department has disbursed Rs 15.96 crore among rightful land and property owners till date.
Naeem Akhtar said an amount of Rs 20 crore has also been sanctioned for upgrading Chenani-Patangarh road. He informed that the work could not be executed as the contractor pleaded that he cannot carry the heavy machinery and other construction material to pass through the bridge over river Tawi at take off point as it has been designed for 8 tonnes load only.
The Minister assured that the work will start soon as the contractor has been asked to carry his machinery from the other side of the road. He further said that notices have been issued to the construction agencies for taking up the execution at the earliest. He said while issuing notices, it has been made clear to the agencies that the damages caused shall be liquidated from their due payments as per clauses of agreement.
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