The construction of four-lane Srinagar-Jammu national highway would have been all-weather road and the passengers would not have been often getting stranded due to blockade of the national highway, had the authorities completed the vital project on time.The Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only road link to outside world, gets often during winter. To upgrade Jammu-Srinagar road into four lanes for all weather route, the authorities started a project several years ago and the project was to be completed in 2013 and later its deadline was extended to December 2014.However, the project has missed several deadlines due to “lackadaisical” approach of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).Official sources told KNS that the project was divided into six sub-projects, widening of Srinagar-Qazigund road (68-Kms), Qazigund-Banihal (16-Kms), Banihal-Ramban (36-Kms), Ramban-Udhampur (43-Kms), Chenani –Nashri (12-Kms), Jammu-Udhampur (65-Kms).Ironically, the physical progress of the Srinagar-Qazigund is around 50 percent even as it was to be completed in December 2014 year after the NHAI extended its deadline. Later NHAI set December 2015 another deadline for the four lanning of this 70 Kilometre stretch which again was missed due to official hiccups.
Recently the NHAI missed third consecutive deadline in July 2016 leaving the project in further doldrums.The NHAI awarded contract to Ramky construction firm for construction of the 70 Kms stretch from Srinagar-Qazigund into a modern highway to get rid of the daily traffic jams and make it all-weather road.As per official estimates out of 4,087 kanals of land involved in the construction of the road, 3,588 kanals were acquired in Anantnag district and handed over to the NHAI, and in Pulwama district out of 2,554 kanals of land, 1,859 kanals were acquired for the project till last year.Under PMGSY, a total of 1726 kanals of land has been utilized in the construction of roads at various places in the Anantnag district.Sources said that the failure in completion of land acquisition process was the main reason behind the delay in the completion of the project.“There were various reasons behind the delay in the completion of the project. Primarily the state government was sluggish in completing the land acquisition process. Further there were certain issues at the administrative level as well,” they said.Under PMGSY, a total of 1726 kanals of land has been utilized in the construction of roads at various places in the Anantnag district. The officials records said that out of 95 disputed land cases, 77 cases were settled so far for which an amount of Rs. 45 crore have been disbursed among the landholders till last year. (KNS)