Deputy Commissioner (DC), Nazim Zai Khan today chaired a high level meeting of officers from Army, Police, Traffic Police, Revenue and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) besides representatives of construction companies to discuss traffic management on Jammu-Srinagar, National Highway (NH-44).The DC instructed the National Highway Authority of India and the construction agencies associated with the Highway (NH-44) four-laning project to ensure maintenance of the existing road to avoid traffic disruption.SSP Ramban, Haseeb-Ur-Rehman; SSP Traffic JS Johar; ADC, Ashok Sharma; Project Director (PD) NHAI, Parshotam Kumar; Officers from Indian Army, SDM, Ramsu, Tehsildar, CHO, Xen, PDD, PWD besides the officers of concerned departments attended the meeting.While discussing the issue of traffic management, the DC asked the Traffic Police, Police and Army officers to formulate an effective plan to smoothly regulate the Army convoy, fruit carrying vehicles besides the other regular traffic on the national highway.He directed all the stakeholders work in close coordination with each other to implement traffic management plan.Army officers also suggested some measures in this regard and SSP traffic assured a safe and hassle free passage to Army convoy.
He also passed some instructions for convoy drivers to avoid unnecessary traffic jamming on the road. The DC directed the Collector Land Acquisition for NH-44 and Project Director, NHAI to visit at all vulnerable points and pass necessary directions to all concerned to avoid traffic congestion on the road. The DC also reviewed section wise progress on the four-laning of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway including Nashri-Ramban, Ramban-Banihal and Banihal-Qazigund section.The DC also sought the status of the Four-laning Project from NHAI and asked for its speedy completion without affecting the environment as well as normal traffic movement on the road to avoid inconvenience to the public.He directed the agencies to adhere to the guidelines of the National Green Tribunal and conditions of the contract agreement to avoid criminal proceedings. Agencies were also directed to enhance water sprinkling on the road to minimize the dust besides dumping the muck at only identified dumping yards.Issues related to land acquisition, removal of structures and shifting of power transmission towers were also discussed in detail.Earlier, the representatives of construction agencies apprised the DC with regard to the progress and issues related to execution of work in their respective working areas.