Rs 225 crore Mughal road to be completed in time, J&K minister

Srinagar, Aug 24 (UNI) Work on ambitious Mughal Road project is progressing on a fast pace on both sides after clearance by Supreme Court while all unconnected habitations having population of 500 and above are to be connected by roads by the end of March 2009.

The Rs 255 crore mega project would be completed within the prescribed time frame, Jammu and Kashmir minister for Roads and Buildings Gulchain Singh Charak informed the Legislative Council today during question hour.

He said 116 schemes are also under execution in double shift in the state.

Giving the physical achievements of the road, he said 28 km of the road have been made motorable and work was in progress for 32 culverts and widening of 11 km from Buffliaz side.

Similarly, from Shopian side 30 km road is motorable upto Zaznar and work is also going on for 11 km road for widening.

He said 52 metre span service bridge over Rambiara Nallah was completed including 11 culverts.

The minister said Rs 92.33 crore have been spent upto July 2007 on the construction of the road.

Mr Charak said about 25 road projects have been sanctioned under PMGSY for district Poonch out of which eight projects fall under Mendhar Tehsil.

Similarly, 17 projects have been also sanctioned under NABARD till date for the district. He said work on 9 road projects has been taken up under double shift in the district.

He further said 40 projects at an estimated cost of Rs 88.65 crore have also been submitted for sanction under RIDF XIII of the NABARD.

Replying to another question by Ashok Kumar Sharma, the Minister said 116 schemes have been taken up for execution under double shift programme in the state.

He said that 39 projects have been taken up under NABARD, 31 under PMGSY, 54 under State Sector, 61 under District Sector where as one project under Prime Minister's Reconstruction Programme.

sixty seven new road projects are being sanctioned under these schemes.

Replying to another question by Nizam-ud-Din Bhat Mr Charak said under Bharat Nirman Programme all the unconnected habitations having population of 500 and above were to be connected by roads by the end of March 2009.

He said six habitations of Bandipora have already been taken under the programme and rest of the habitations were being taken up.

To another question the Minister said during the current year 404 schemes costing Rs 83.49 crore have been submitted for sanction under RIDF XIII for obtaining loan assistance from NABARD.

He said the work on these projects shall be taken up after its approval and releases of funds by NABARD, besides other projects are being submitted for funding from Asian Development Bank by Economic Reconstruction Agency.

UNI