Lavender cultivation to be undertaken along NH: Dr Jitendra
Nishikant Khajuria
KATRA, Apr 11: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari today announced that Katra-Delhi Expressway will be completed ahead of the schedule and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by January or February 2024.
Click here to watch video
“The deadline for completion of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Greenfield Expressway is December 2024, but I have asked the executing agency to finish the job before the Modal Code of Conduct comes into force ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, which are scheduled to be held in May 2024 so that inauguration of the project is done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said, while addressing a press conference, here today after inspecting ongoing works on Banihal section of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
Flanked by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Minister of State in PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh and MoS Road Transport and Highways, Gen (Retd) V K Singh, Gadkari told the media persons that he has no hesitation to look for political mileage by getting the project inaugurated before the Lok Sabha polls.
He informed that after completion of this significant project at a cost of Rs 40,000 crores, the Expressway will reduce the distance between Delhi and Katra by 58 kms and travel time to 6 hours. “I believe nobody will come to Vaishno Devi shrine by air as you will cover Delhi-Amritsar distance in four hours, Delhi-Katra in six hours and Delhi-Srinagar in eight hours,” he said.
The Union Minister admitted that Jammu-Srinagar National Highway goes through very problematic patches, particularly the 40-km Ramban-Banihal stretch of the highway, which is the most difficult phase of the four-laning project due to the threat of landslides, mudslides and shooting stones even as work on remaining part of 4-laning of the highway was complete.
While elaborating, Nitin Gadkari said that to ease the travel between Jammu and Srinagar, three corridors are being built at a cost of Rs 35,000 crore, which will reduce the earlier distance of 320 kms by 70 kms and travel time from 10 hours to four hours.
The first corridor from Jammu to Udhampur-Ramban-Banihal and further to Srinagar is being built at a cost of Rs 16,000 crore and 210 km of this route has been completed, including 10 tunnels of 21.5 km while work in the remaining 35 km length between Ramban and Banihal is in progress, he said and added that NHAI is expecting to complete all works in this section by August 2025.
“We have completed the 10 km road in the Ramban-Banihal stretch and except Maroog-Digdole tunnel, the rest of the 30 km of this stretch will be completed by January next year,” he added.
Further, Gadkari informed that a carriage-way of 40 km 4-lane road between Ramban and Banihal will be completed by June 2024 which will provide relief to the commuters, who face difficulty because of stranded trucks.
The Minister also highlighted the work on another corridor – Jammu-Chenani-Doda-Kishtwar and Anantnag – and said the work being undertaken by NHIDCL) is progressing smoothly. Similarly, he added, work on the third corridor from Jammu to Akhnoor-Rajouri-Poonch and Uri is also going on smoothly.
Gadkari said he has put a suggestion for starting an air-conditioned electric luxury double-decker bus service on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. He explained that diesel buses cost Rs 115 per km, while the electric non-AC buses cost Rs 39 and AC buses Rs 41 for the same distance. In the proposed luxury buses, the passengers will also be provided snacks and tea etc and can enjoy comfortable business seats, he said and added that if the UT Government wants to run the service, it should come forward otherwise he would facilitate private players interested in running such service.
Throwing light on Inter Model Station (MS) to be established in Katra, Gadkari said that it will be a world class state of the art project constructed to improve travelling experience of the pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine. Tenders for allotment of work on the project are being issued soon while Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone, he disclosed.
The Minister also announced that 110 km long track leading to holy Amarnath cave shrine in Pahalgam will be built at a cost of around Rs 5300 crores for the convenience of the pilgrims. “DPRs of 73 km 4-lane Khanabal to Chandanwari Marg worth Rs 1800 crores and 37 km long 2-lane road at a cost of Rs 3500 cr from Chandanwari to Baltal Marg via Panjtarni will be ready by this year,” he said and added that the ambitious project will reduce travel time of the holy Yatra from 3 days to 7-8 hours from Srinagar.
Replying to a query, Nitin Gadkari said that he has no intention to retire from active politics.
MoS in PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh, who was also present in the press conference, informed that Lavender cultivation will be undertaken along the Ramban-Banihal Highway stretch for giving boost to Agri-tech StartUps in the area. This will be taken up as pilot project here and extended to Himachal Pradesh for which CSIR is in touch with National Highway Authority of India, he added.
Dr Jitendra Singh, who represents Kathua-Udhampur- Doda Parliamentary constituency in Lok Sabha, also announced that the issue of compensation to the shopkeepers affected due to ongoing work on Katra-Delhi Expressway at Koota and Jatwal has been resolved as the J&K Government has agreed to provide them alternate land for their business establishments besides the cash compensation by NHAI.
During the press conference, Nitin Gadkari lauded Dr Jitendra Singh for continuously pursuing him for the allotment of new projects in Jammu Kashmir on and keeping a follow-up on the same.
Earlier, accompanied by LG Manoj Sinha, Dr Jitendra Singh and Gen (Retd) V K Singh, Nitin Gadkari conducted a breakthrough of Sitaram Pasi Maroog Tunnel via virtual mode through a controlled blast. This 395 m long Marog tunnel will bypass the most notorious landslide prone stretch on the Ramban-Ramsoo area and help reduce travel time.
Achievement of the tunnel breakthrough today will be followed by the execution of balance work of the tunnel lining and paving, which will be completed by June 30, 2023 when traffic is expected to be diverted at the time of Amarnath Yatra this year.
The Minister also inaugurated Peerah-Kunfer Tunnel, which reduces the distance between Peerah and Kunfer by 2 kms and travel time by 15 minutes. After diversion of traffic in this tube, the balance works of South bound T2 tube shall be completed by June 30, 2023.
Nitin Gadkari along with Manoj Sinha, Dr Jitendra Singh and V K Singh also paid obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine after inspecting and inaugurating National Highway projects. They also inspected the inter-modal Railway Station at Katra.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
