Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 3: In a boost for road development infrastructure of Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre has given nod for Rs 613 crores worth projects for the State including Rs 480 crores for current financial year of 2015-16 and Rs 133 crores, which were pending for previous year of 2014-15. It has asked the State to prioritize the projects and send them for approval to the Union Government.
The nod to Rs 613 crores worth projects is in addition to Rs 347 crores given to the J&K Government by the Centre for development of road network in the month of March this year. With this, the State Government has got Rs 960 crores for road infrastructure from the Union Government in less than two months, which would go a long way in improvement of rural road network in the State, which was in very bad shape.
Official sources told the Excelsior that a number of roads and bridges have been or were being prioritized under Rs 960 crores worth road infrastructure development funds approved by the Union Ministry of Surface Transport (MoST) headed by Nitin Gadkari.
They said the Surface Transport Ministry had approved Rs 480 crores worth funds for development of road network in Jammu and Kashmir during 2014-15. However, this grant was not released till March when the PDP-BJP Government headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took over reign of affairs in the State. In March, the Centre approved Rs 347 crores and kept Rs 133 crores pending.
“Now, the Government of India has approved Rs 480 crores for road network for current financial year of 2015-16 and also released pending amount of Rs 133 crores taking total release now to Rs 613 crores and during past two months to Rs 960 crores. The sanctioned amount would go long way in completing the projects under execution and take up more projects in hands,” sources said.
According to sources, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has asked the Works Department to take up two roads-Koteranka-Khwas with 30 kilometers length in Rajouri district and Khanabal-Pahalgam in Anantnag district with an equal length on priority basis and ensure their early completion. These two road projects would cost Rs 120 crores i.e. Rs 50 crores and Rs 70 crores respectively.
Jathana bridge in Kathua district at the cost of Rs 45 crores, Hatli road in Kathua at the cost of Rs 37 crores, Changdura-Hanzal road in Kishtwar for Rs 37 crores, Kewal Morh-Targain road in Rajouri costing Rs 15 crores, Roop Nagar-Gharota road and several other roads and bridges in Jammu and Kashmir were under execution or would be executed from the funds sanctioned by the Government of India for road development projects. A number of projects in Kashmir have also been taken up under the road development grant while some others would be shortly identified and work started on them.
Sources said the State Government would take new road projects in hand after identifying the areas, where road connectivity was very poor and the people were suffering for want of road network. The roads and bridges to be undertaken in hands would be prioritized at the State level and projects submitted to the Government of India for formal approval.
Government teams headed by R&B Chief Engineers Hamid Sheikh and SK Razdan (Jammu and Kashmir respectively) under the guidance of Commissioner/Secretary Works Rohit Kansal would identify the projects to be executed in current financial year for road development. The works would be approved by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Works Minister Altaf Bukhari before being submitted to the Centre Government for approval.
It may be mentioned here that all works undertaken by the State Government under Central funds are formally approved by the concerned Union Ministry. However, the Union Ministry generally didn’t interfere with the projects and approve them provided that cost of the projects is equal to the amount approved by the Government of India.
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