Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Altaf Bukhari on Monday appealed to the Union minister Nitin Gadkari to order a probe into a construction agency for its alleged failure to stabilise the Srinagar-Jammu national highway for smooth vehicular movement.
The former minister also asked Gadkari to take “special classes” of the officers engaged in Smart City project in Srinagar and Jammu for narrowing the vital roads on the pretext of beautification.
“Gadkari is on a visit of Jammu and Kashmir and we welcome him…We appeal to him to announce a commission of inquiry into the wrong alignments (undertaken by the construction companies working on the four-laning Jammu-Srinagar national highway project) which resulted in frequent occurrences of shooting stones (from the hillocks overlooking the road),” Bukhari told reporters after addressing a workers meet in Ramgarh area of Samba district.
The work on the four-laning project of the 270-km highway has been going on since 2011.
“The contractors engaged by the concerned agency have undertaken the works without considering the fallout and have taken their money, but over the years, the highway has not been stabilised,” he said.
Praising the Union Road Transport and Highways minister for his efforts, Bukhari suggested him to focus on construction of a tunnel on Mughal Road, an alternate route connecting the twin districts of Pooch and Rajouri in Jammu with south Kashmir’s Shopian, which usually remains closed during the winter owing to heavy snowfall.
“You have promised a tunnel for Mughal Road (to make it an all-weather road). You are inspecting the works on Zojila tunnel (along Srinagar-Leh national highway) and you should also visit Mughal Road to see the progress of the tunnel besides reviewing the progress on Poonch-Loran and Uri-Poonch roads and Kishtwar-Dachhan tunnel,” the JKAP president said.
He expressed his displeasure on the works being undertaken under the Smart City project in the twin capitals of Srinagar and Jammu and said the breadth of the roads are being narrowed on the pretext of beautification.
“They are narrowing roads and need a lesson in a closed room. They are utilising Rs 1,000 crore each on the two projects and they should be made accountable as this money belongs to the public,” he said.
Responding to a question about the resignation of Junaid Azam Mattu from his post of youth president of the party, Bukhari said he resigned from his post after the completion of his term.
“There is nothing wrong with his decision. He has completed his term as party youth president and we have got a new team after recent party elections. He has not resigned from the party and he will continue as Mayor of Srinagar,” he said.
He said his party is enthusiastic about the assembly elections and “our preparedness makes them (BJP) to delay the elections”.
Earlier, during his address, he opposed the policies of the J&K administration including its anti-encroachment drive, awarding contracts for minor minerals and liquor to outsiders.
“We are ready to sacrifice our lives for the nation but we will not stay silent when you are taking our land forcibly,” he said.
