Strongly advocating for construction of proposed 10-Km long (5km of two tubes each) Singpora-Vailoo tunnel connecting Kishtwar with Kashmir valley, Senior Congress Leader and MLA Inderwal G M Saroori, today said it will help to provide a nearest all weather alternate highway between Jammu to Srinagar and will help in its holistic development.Saroori said on completion, the tunnel will go a long way in developing a mega Tourism Circuit comprising of Lakhanpur-Bani-Basoli-Chatergala-Bhaderwah-Kishtwar-Chatroo and Kashmir Valley, thereby bringing socio-economic prosperity in the entire region.“Chatroo-Singpora-Vailoo tunnel is of prime importance both from defence purpose as well as from road connective purpose. He said that the proposed tunnel will shorten the traveling distance from eight to two hours on one hand and will facilitate tourists, especially Amarnath pilgrims on the other hand,” said Saroori. Saroori, who has been pivotal in pushing Chatroo-Singpora-Vailoo tunnel and during his tenure as R&B Minister the 23km long road on both side of the tunnel has been completed within no span of time in 2010.
Saroori said that Jammu-Srinagar NH1 which always remained closed most of time due to landslides or sinking of road patches at various places every next day whereas the Singpora-Vailoo tunnel will be without sliding, sinking zone and the same will remain open through out the year. He allege that certain vested interests who don’t want that the twin districts of Doda and Kishtwar should get connected to Kashmir region are deliberately in connection with some agencies creating hurdle in the completion of the formalities of the project.He demanded an immediate start of construction on this important tunnel which the former Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh has sanctioned 10 no tunnels in the country which include Singpora-Vailoo tunnel and which also find mentioned in the President of India address in the parliament in 2013.
Saroori informed that higher officials of BEACON have informed him that the pre-feasibility report has already been received by Ministry of Surface Transport and Defence Ministry through Border road organisation (BRO) in 2013 and now BRO needs funds for preparation of final Detail project report (DPR). He said that the BRO has earlier given deadline that all the formalities will be cleared by the end December 2013 but now they are clueless about when the funds will be provided for the final DPR. He has urge Union Surface & Transport Ministry and defense ministry for immediate release of funds as soon as possible so that work would be started on this prestigious tunnel.
“Widening work from Kishtwar-Sinthan road, was going on at snail’s pace and it has already missed several deadlines even as people have to face tremendous inconvenience. “The project undertaken by Beacon was supposed to get accomplished by the year 2007. However, seven years down the line it is still far from completion,” said Saroori and added that via Kishtwar–Sinthan–Anantnag highway thousands of Kashmir flood survivors have been rescued and brought to Kishtwar to take up onward journey. He also said that whole traffic movement is turned towards Kashmir via Sinthan road and is moving smoothly and 100’s of vehicles of essential things were sent to Kashmir. He demanded early completion of widening on Kishtwar-Sinthan road beside release of funds for the final DPR of Singpora-Vailoo tunnel at an earliest.