New Delhi, July 07: Former minister and president JKNPP Harsh Dev Singh on Friday submitted a memorandum to General V K Singh, Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, at New Delhi, seeking early double laning of Udhampur–Ghordi road in district Udhampur in consonance with the assurance given by Nitin Gadkari during his visit to Ghordi during elections in 2014.
He apprised the Union MoS about the public commitment made by Gadkari for double laning of the 38 km road from Udhampur to Ghordi.
Harsh Dev said, “Though Nitin Gadkari had issued instructions in this regard for the execution of the said road project under CRF and the work was also started but regretfully abandoned merely after straightening a few curves. The result is that out of 38 km of single road, it is only about 8-9 km that has been double-laned leaving the rest around 30 km of road in shabby condition. On public agitating over the issue, it was said that funds under CRF had been stopped by the Centre and that around 18 km of single lane stretch would be black-topped under PMGSY and that double laning of the same was not possible.”
“It was further apprised by the local administration that there were no funds for even black-topping & up-gradation of the around 10 km of single lane road up to Kaldi which continued to be in the most deplorable condition and unfit for traffic,” he said.
Most shocking however is the fact that there is no bridge on river Tawi at Salmay falling on the alignment of the said road, the NPP president said. “Around 1000 vehicles ply every day on the said road catering to a population of over 1.50 lakh. In the absence of a bridge, all the said vehicles are using an aqueduct to cross over the river,” he said. “The said aqueduct constructed by PDC has been declared unsafe for traffic around 20 years back. The use of the said road however has been discontinued thereby creating huge inconvenience for several thousands of people commuting on the said road every day. Strange however that despite the matter being in the notice of authorities concerned have failed to elicit an appropriate response.”
Harsh Dev termed it sad that “even the Central minister’s commitments and directions have been taken non-seriously resulting in a public uproar and resentment”. He appealed to the Union Minister of State that a double lane from Udhampur to Ghordi along with the bridge on its alignment at Salmay be constructed as assured and committed in the public rally held in 2014 so that the public of the area could heave a sigh of relief.
