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5 of 6 PMRP roads still incomplete, Mughal road yet to become alternate highway
Mufti returns to office after 9 years!
2/28/2015 11:16:11 PM
Syed Junaid Hashmi

Early Times Report

JAMMU, Feb 28: As PDP patron Mufti Mohammed Sayeed assumes office again, he gets the chance to complete projects which are still under execution under the much talked about Prime Minister's Reconstruction Programme (PMRP) sanctioned by the central government in the year 2004 during the then PDP-Congress government's regime. Much hyped Mughal Road project is yet to be declared fully operational since now the construction company HCC has said that the road can be kept functional throughout the year only if a tunnel is constructed midway towards Shopian from Poonch. Besides, the company has outrightly told the state government that their work is limited to road construction and they have nothing to do with maintenance of the road. According to estimates available with Early Times, work for the 84 kilometre road was sanctioned in the year February 2006 with the original estimate of Rs. 159 crore. Delays led to cost escalation and when the cost reached Rs.639.85 crore, central government refused further funding and asked the state government to complete the road from its own resources if construction cost crosses the amount already sanctioned by the central government.
Now, Mufti has the chance to make the road fully functional throughout the year. Until this day, Mughal road is yet to become an alternate highway to National Highway (NH-1A) and continues to be a road which is used only in exceptional cases. Another highly important project which has missed innumerable deadlines is double lanning of Batote-Kishtwar Road (NH 1B). Spate of accidents coupled with slipping and washing away of road has made the existing road the most dangerous in the country.
Yet the completion of four lanning continues to be pipe dream despite the fact that the project was sanctioned in May 2002 at an estimated cost of Rs.463 crore. Presently, the cost has escalated to Rs. 924.12 crore. The 265 kilometre road failed to get the kind of priority that it should have got during the erstwhile NC-Congress coalition government. Another important project which was sanctioned in the year 2005 was upgradation of 94 kilometre long Srinagar-Uri-LoC road.
This road project was sanctioned for 94 kilometres in March 2005 with an estimated cost of Rs. 121 crore. Presently, the cost of project stands at Rs.395.61 crore. The project was scheduled to be completed in March 2010 and is now slated to be completed by March 2015. But the physical progress does not indicate any such thing happening so soon. Uri-Salamabad-Kaman post road was sanctioned in March 2005 and if the status available on the website of the Union Home Ministry is to be believed, 3 major and one minor bridge, is under construction. So, Mufti gets a chance to do the inauguration of this prestigious and strategically important project which was sanctioned during his tenure. Double laning of Srinagar-Leh road via Kargil is also likely to see Mufti doing the inauguration. This 422 kilometre road was sanctioned in the year 2006 and original estimates were Rs. 426.40 crore. The road project was to be completed by March 2012 but it is already late by 2 years and now the next deadline is December 2015.
Revised estimates have been put at Rs. 981.45 crore and if the cost escalation is any indicator, the road is likely to be completed with more than Rs. 1000 crore. Nimu-Padam-Darcha road construction was sanctioned in November 2004 at an estimated cost of Rs.251 crore and now the revised cost of the project is Rs.1849.15 crore. State government has already set March 2021 as next date of completion of the project. Cumulative financial progress is Rs.175.15 crore and Physical progress is 8.64 percent with respect of re-revised scope.
Overall, 5 of the 6 road projects sanctioned during the erstwhile PDP-Congress regime continue to be incomplete despite lapse of more than 10 years. Mufti, who would take oath of office and secrecy on March 1 has now the chance of completing these projects which were planned and proposed during his first tenure as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and later, during the tenure of ex-Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
It needs to be mentioned here that ex-Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh during his visit to J&K on November 17 and 18, 2004 had announced a Reconstruction Plan for J&K involving an outlay of Rs.24000 crore. At present, approximate total outlay for PMRP projects is Rs.36264.70 crore. There are 67 projects going on in the state broadly aimed at expanding economic infrastructure, expanding provision of basic services, providing thrust to employment and income generation and providing relief & rehabilitation to the dislocated and the families of victims of militancy. Reconstruction Plan caters to the need to strengthen the economic and social infrastructure and provide for balanced development of all the three regions of J&K. Out of 67 projects; 35 have been completed. Work is in progress in respect of 27 other projects.
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