Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 14: Minister for Transport & CA&PD, Qamar Ali Akhoon on Saturday said that Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway would be ready for vehicular traffic from April 25, 2012.
The Minister disclosed this while reviving the measures taken by BEACON authority in connection with lifting of snow as well as removing snow avalanches and other hurdles at Captain Marh.
He asked the Beacon authorities to accelerate the restoration work on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway to ensure that the vital road would be thrown open for the vehicles at the earliest. The lone link between Leh and rest of the country was closed in December last year due to heavy snowfall at Zojilla pass and adjacent areas.
The Minister stressed upon the Beacon to press more men and machinery into service for removing all the bottlenecks on the road. He also asked the administration and security agencies to ensure the safe passage of the people who are travelling on foot including vegetables and medicines carrying ponies.
Earlier, the Engineer of the Beacon, A.P. Singh informed the Minister that presently 6 bulldozers and near about 30 labourers have been pressed into service for removing the snow slides and other hurdles on the road.
Meanwhile, Mr. Akhoon asked the regulating agencies to repeat the normal schedule for the movement of up and down convoy of Army vehicles.
He further said that the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways has already approved the construction of 13 kilometres long Zojilla Tunnel to provide all season link to the twin districts of Leh and Kargil, adding that work on this project will be started this year.
The Minister said that with the construction of Zojilla tunnel, a long pending demand of the people of Kargil and Leh would be fulfilled.
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