Advisor to Governor, Keval Kumar Sharma today directed the executing agencies to expedite the infra structural projects especially the road projects being undertaken for augmenting the road networks and connectivity.The Advisor was speaking at a review meeting convened to discuss the implementation of various projects being undertaken in the road sector especially those being executed by the National Highway Authority of India(NHAI) and National Highway Infra structural Development Corporation Limited(NHIDCL). Principal Secretary Housing and Urban Development, Dheeraj Gupta, Commissioner/ Secretary R&B, Khurshid Shah, Regional Heads of NHIA and NHIDCL were present in the meeting.The Advisor directed for fast pacing the work on the projects being undertaken by the two executing agencies especially the ring road projects in the twin capitals of the state besides the four laning of Jammu- Akhnoor projects. He said that these projects should be completed within the stipulated time frame as they hold a pivotal importance in regulating the traffic inflow to the city besides checking the traffic congestion and regulating its flow.He also directed the officers to come up with a holistic proposal of providing the lodging and other facilities en-route the national highway especially to the passengers who get stranded due to the closure of the national highway especially during the winter season.
While stressing for the construction of foot bridges on the highway, the Advisor said that these should be taken up on priority as there would be providing the people an effective means to cross the roads without any untoward incident. He said besides several other things like public utilities should also be constructed en-route.The Advisor was informed that a total of eight foot bridges would be constructed from Vijaypur to Jammu with an estimated cost of Rs 5 crore and a network of footbridges are proposed to be undertaken across the national highway at different places.The meeting was also informed that major headway has been achieved in land acquisition proceedings in the Srinagar ring road project and in Jammu 90% of the land in Jammu has been already handed over to NHAI. The work on four lanning of the Jammu – Akhnoor road is also going on and would be completed within the stipulated time frame, the meeting was told.The Chenani-Sudhmahadev section of National Highway 244 shall be upgraded to two lanes with paved shoulders under EPC mode having length of 16.99 kms, the project will cost about Rs 255.90 crore, the meeting was informed.