Veerinag: Former J&K Pradesh Congress Committee President Ghulam Ahmad Mir today said that the Union Transport & Highways Minister talked about the progress on Zojila Tunnel and other important projects including efforts to boost the tourism sector in J&K in a presser in Srinagar yesterday, but “sadly the Minister did not even mention the plans for the construction of other important tunnels at various higher altitudes in Kashmir awaiting Govt approval since a long”.
“GOI has neglected Kapran Desa, Sadhna Top, Razdan Top, Mati Gawarn – Enshan Tunnel projects, which also happen to be equally important given their higher altitude and difficult topographies coupled with strategic defense snags due to the connectivity issues in certain areas especially Karnah and Gurez falling very close LOC,” said Mir.
He made these comments in the backdrop of a Presser addressed by Union Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in which he explained GOIs efforts and strategies being implemented with regard to the execution and completion of various developmental projects in J&K.
Former JKPCC President expressed surprise that the Union Minister has not even mentioned Sadhana, Lolab Machil, Razdan, Matigwaran Enshan, and Kapran Desa tunnel projects, which are equally significant Projects to be executed given the landscape and difficult topographies of respective areas.
Elaborating on the significance of Tunnel projects, Mir said that Kapran Desa Tunnel is an important project sanctioned by the UPA Govt, which connects Kashmir with Chenab Valley, but the project has been awaiting execution for a long time due to the policies adopted by Modi Govt. “The Union Minister didn’t even mention this project in his presser thereby hurting the expectations of the people.”
Quoting the importance of Sadhna Top connecting Kupwara with Karnah and Razdan Pass connecting Bandipora with Gurez, Mir said that these too are important projects in terms of defense and other means of connectivity, but remain cut off from the rest of the valley for about six months so causing huge inconvenience to common people, who get stuck during winter months. “They have been agitating for a long for construction of Tunnel, but their grievances have not been considered so far by GOI.”
Mir also referred to the Lolab-Machil area of Kupwara District, which is a most remote and neglected area, where people are living a miserable life on account of connectivity and other facilities, there was an urgent need for sanction of Tunnel to ensure respite to people living in Machil.
Mir reiterated that GOI India must sanction Sadhna, Razdan, Kapran Desa, Mati Gawaran-Warwan Tunnel projects without any further loss of time to ensure all-weather connectivity to people, which is also paramount to the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir, especially to these difficult areas.
