Minister for Roads and Buildings, Gardens, Parks and Floriculture, Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari today informed the House that in terms of Government of India Gazette notification dated 2 July 2014, the National Highway 1-B was entrusted to State government’s Public Works Department.The Minister said that the total length of road from Batote to Anantnag via Sinthan Top is 265.80 kms. He said the road stretch between Batote and Sinthan Top, length 193 kms, falls in the jurisdiction of PWD (R&B) Jammu and from Sinthan Top to Anantnag falls in the jurisdiction of PWD (R&B) Kashmir. He said pursuant to this notification, the PW (R&B) department initiated the process of taking over the highway from BRO and 184 kms of the road was taken over from the BRO by January 2015.
However, the process of taking over the remaining stretch of the road from Sinthan Top to Anantnag (79 Kms) could not be completed because of the area being snow bound.The Minister was replying to a Calling Attention Notice by Mr. G. M. Saroori in Legislative Assembly here today. He said the improvement and maintenance of this road has been entrusted to National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL). The R&B Department had restored the road during winter months and detailed estimates for its restoration claim amounting to Rs 607.28 lakhs have been submitted to the NHIDCL for release of funds.
The Minister said that no funds have been received so far from Unon Ministry of Roads and Highways and National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. since taking over the road project.The Minister informed that as per the direction of Chief Minister during his Doda tour, 40 vulnerable / washed away stretches were identified and protection work taken up on these spots by R&B Department Jammu.“Work has been completed on 11 spots till date and remaining works are in progress. An amount of Rs 5 crore has already been released so far to CE R&B Jammu for the work under annual plan 2015-16”, the Minister informed the House.The Minister said that R&B Jammu has formulated DPRs for the works and submitted the same to the Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways for sanction and allocation of funds.