SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday wrote to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and requested him to initiate construction of the Mughal road tunnel.
She said the Minister had earlier assured this when she met him as Chief Minister in 2017.
She said the road can emerge as a vital all weather road link connecting the Valley with Pir Panchal in Jammu.
“As you (Gadkari) are already aware, the Mughal road is the only vital link that connects the valley to the Pir Panchal region in Jammu. Unfortunately, Kashmir is cut off from the rest of the country owing to the fact that the sole national highway connecting it remains mostly closed due to inclement weather conditions & landslides,” Mehbooba wrote in the letter which she shared on twitter.
The PDP chief said the last few years have witnessed a surge in terms of road infrastructure and connectivity under Gadkari’s tenure.
“But even to this day, J&Ks road infrastructure hasn’t changed much. As a result, people continue to suffer huge losses on an economic front & personal level. Our local economy is driven by horticulture which is its backbone. I’m sure you are aware that tonnes of fruit rotted on the national highway last year due to road closure. This was catastrophic for our farmers & the transport industry,” she said.
Mehbooba said despite Kashmir’s strategic location, it remains landlocked without railway links.
“Exorbitant air travel leaves common masses with little choice but to travel via roads. In such difficult circumstances, you can well imagine the inconvenience caused every time J&Ks only national highway is closed. Therefore, a tunnel through the Mughal road would not only emerge as an alternative route but also an all weather link that would facilitate human connectivity & flow of goods and services,” Mehbooba wrote.
Mehbooba said she remembered the positive response of the minister during the course of the meeting in 2017.
“I write to you today hoping that you will bring your kind attention to this matter & initiate steps to kick start this project without any further delay,” she added.
