Governor NN Vohra today reviewed significant road projects being maintained and developed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at a high-level meeting here.
The meeting was attended by Parvez Dewan, Adviser to Governor; Lt Gen Suresh Kumar, Director General, BRO; PK Tripathi, Principal Secretary to Governor; Rohit Kansal, Commissioner PWD (R&B); and Brig Biswajit Bhattacharya, Chief Engineer, Sampark.
The Governor was apprised of the status of maintenance and ongoing work on Jammu-Poonch national highway, Basohli-Bani-Bhaderwah road, Batote-Kishtwar road, Parimpora-Shalteng-Narbal part of NH1; and Baramulla-Rafiabad-Kupwara-Tangdhar road.
The Governor observed that keeping in view the strategic and economic importance of NH-144A, the road from Akhnoor onwards which was under the control of the BRO was required to be developed to national highway standards by carrying out major improvements such as cross drainage works, surfacing and geometrics.
The Governor directed expeditious upgrade of the Basohli-Bani-Bhaderwah road and other related improvements in order to make this road an effective alternative connection to Chenab Valley and onwards to Kashmir.
Once completed, this road would provide an all-weather alternative corridor to the Chenab valley and for tourists and Amarnath pilgrims.
He was informed that snow was being cleared near Simthan Pass and the nine-km road stretch from Achabal to Donipawa on the Batote-Kishtwar road was being widened. The Governor directed timely completion of snow clearance work to make the road trafficable well in time.
The Governor directed that four-laning of the Parimpora-Shalteng-Narbal road sanctioned under Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme and development work on Srinagar-Sonamarg sector must be completed on priority.
He reviewed the work of upgrade of the Srinagar-Uri-LoC road, double-laning of the Srinagar-Leh road via Kargil, Uri-Kamanpost road and Nimu-Padam-Darcha road. The Governor discussed the need to improve and widen the Mughal Road links from Bafliaz to Rajouri and to Surankote for encouraging traffic on this alternative route connecting Kashmir to the rest of the country.
The status of maintenance and upgrade of roads in the border towns by Beacon and Sampark and various other important and critical roads maintained by the BRO were discussed in the meeting.
He noted that feasibility studies undertaken by Beacon on Basti-Chattergala tunnel on Basohli-Bani-Bhaderwah road, Sadhana Pass tunnel on Kupwara-Karnah road and Razdan Pass tunnel on Bandipora-Gurez road.
The Governor urged Dewan to fix timelines for land acquisition process on these important road projects and asked the DG, BRO, to direct all his officers to maintain close coordination with Commissioner, PWD.
He reiterated his earlier directions that the Commissioner, PWD, should hold monthly review meeting to resolve all issues pertaining to land acquisition and other impediments in timely implementation of all national highway and other important road works.
Vohra reviews BRO road projects
