'PM's package gives fillip to Kashmir development

Srinagar, May 17 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's reconstruction programme has given a fillip to development activities and paved the way for creation of required infrastructure to usher the state in an era of peace and prosperity.

He said the upgradation of Srinagar-Uri-Kaman Post road would boost trade activities across the Line of Control (LoC) and become an important route for trade and travel purposes.

At a high-level meeting to review implementation of the Prime Minister's reconstruction programme last evening, Mr Azad said 17 km of the Mughal road from Bufliaz had been completed and made motarable while the agencies concerned directed to immediately start its construction from the Shopian side.

The upgradation of the Srinagar-Leh road to the status of the National Highway would make travelling more comfortable on this route, he added.

Under the package, the meeting was told that besides constructing 1000 mini-micro power projects, the work on mega projects had also been up and going on in full swing.

The Baglihar project would be completed next year with a generation capacity of 450 MWs, the Chief Minister said, adding he will take up the matter of transfer of the Salal project to state with the Prime Minister.

He said impetus has been given to generate power locally and construction of transmission lines. This includes the 220 MW HTL from Northern Grid to the Valley which was expected to be completed by July this year.

Mr Azad said power generation of more than 20,000 MWs had been surveyed in the state and steps initiated to harness it. Jammu and Kashmir was the first state in the country to have separate budget for the power sector, he added.

The Chief Minister said with the completion of Baglihar and 220 transmission line along with construction of several micro hydro projects, the power situation in the state would ease in future.

The construction of the Sawalakot hydro-electric project would generate low cost power and help in giving a fillip to generation and reducing heavy expenditure on purchase of power, he added.

UNI