JAMMU: Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary, today said that the Jammu–Akhnoor four–lane Project on NH-144A is at an advanced stage, while the remaining works are targeted for phased completion by mid-2026.
The Deputy Chief Minister was replying to a question raised by Legislator Mohan Lal in the Legislative Assembly today.
Regarding the timeline for completion, the Deputy Chief Minister informed that Package I is likely to be completed by 31.03.2026, while Package II has already been completed. Besides, Package-IIIA is expected to be completed by 30.04.2026, and Package-IIIB by 31.07.2026.
He said that the delay in completion of certain packages also included project alignment traversing densely populated urban areas of Jammu city, which has led to traffic congestion, restricted working hours and frequent interruptions arising from traffic regulation measures and canal diversion works.
In addition, he said there have been issues related to slow progress and inadequate resource mobilization along with certain technical constraints.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that labour shortages, disruptions for land acquisitions, and deployment of men and machinery have also impacted the pace of execution, for various reasons.
He further said that the unseasonal rainfall has also adversely affected the construction activities. He added that delays in the disbursement of compensation, removal of encroachments and shifting of utilities have added to the overall timeline slippages.
