Jammu: Calling for expediting the work on the much awaited expressway from national capital to the holy city of Katra, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate 670-kilometer long Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Greenfield expressway in February or March 2024, right before the Lok Sabha elections.
Gadkari along with union ministers Jitendra Singh and V K Singh and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha paid obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, hours after he inspected and inaugurated various projects on Jammu-Srinagar national highway, on the second day of his visit to the union territory.
In the afternoon, Gadkari reached Katra where he inspected the upcoming Inter Modal Station (IMS) and said that the Station will be a world class state of the art project constructed to improve travelling experience of the pilgrims visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.
While interacting with media at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Spiritual Growth Centre, Gadkari said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate 670-kilometer long Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Greenfield expressway to the public before the 2024 general elections.
“I have been told that Rs 40,000 crore Delhi-Amritsar- Katra Greenfield expressway would complete around December 2024. I hope that it will be ready well before as in May we will see elections (Lok Sabha) and if it (expressway) will complete after that it is of no use to us to inaugurate and I am not hesitant to accept the truth,” he said.
“I hope that the expressway will be ready well before the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and it will be inaugurated in February-March by Prime Minister,” he said, adding, “I have directed NHAI (National Highway Authority of India) to complete the work so that Prime Minister will inaugurate it in February–March 2024.”
He further said that the expressway will fully connect Kashmir with Kanyakumari.
Gadkari said that with the development of state-of-the-art road networks across the country through every state and UT, the Kashmir to Kanyakumari will no longer be a dream for the people of India. “We built Atal Tunnel in Manali which connects Ladakh and then Z-Morh tunnels connect Kashmir and followed by this expressway, which connects Jammu with Rajasthan and Gujarat, and then to Southern states,” he said.
On redevelopment of Katra, the union minister said that Inter Modal Station (IMS) to be established in Katra will be a world-class state-of-the-art project constructed to improve travelling experience of the pilgrims visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.
He also reiterated that the 110 km long Amarnath Marg–leading to the holy Amarnath cave in Pahalgam will be built at a cost of around Rs 5300 crore for the convenience of the pilgrims going to Shri Amarnath Shrine.
Earlier in the day, Gadkari, accompanied by union ministers and LG Sinha inspected Srinagar – Banihal section of Jammu to Udhampur-Ramban-Banihal to Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) being constructed to provide all-weather connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar.
He inspected a 924-metre-long Banihal-Qazigund tunnel, which will bypass a nearly three-km landslide and accident-prone area in Ramban district, and various road projects in the Union territory.
The completion of the tunnel will bring much relief to travellers by bypassing a nearly three-km landslide and accident-prone area in the Ramban district.
Gadkari also conducted a breakthrough of Sita Rama Passi Maroog via virtual mode through a controlled blast in the tunnel.
“After completion of this road in the next two years, the tourist arrival (in Jammu and Kashmir) will increase over 4 times. That will increase the number of resorts and restaurants 9 in the Union territory),” Gadkari told reporters after an inspection of the tunnel.
The minister expressed confidence that after the completion of road projects, there will be a huge development, people will get employment and poverty will be eradicated in the Union territory.
“The lifeline (highway) will have socio-economic benefits to Jammu and Kashmir.
“In Jammu and Kashmir, we are constructing road projects at a cost of Rs 1.25 lakh crore. There are 20 to 22 proposals of ropeways and cable cars worth Rs 25,000-30,000 crore that we are doing. It will have a 4-fold increase in the tourism of Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir will be self-reliant and prosperous,” he said.
Referring to the work on the highways, he said there will be three roads being constructed between Jammu and Srinagar.
“…One of five tunnels with a length of 45 kilometres has been inaugurated today. The other three tunnels will be open by next year. One tunnel given to TATA will take some time for completion.”
Referring to the express highway, he said that a tunnel project has been given to TATA.
“It will take some time. After completion, the distance will be restricted to three hours. From Katra, it will be direct travel to Delhi. The travel time from Delhi to Srinagar will be 8 hours and six hours travel time from Delhi to Katra. From Delhi to Mumbai, the travel time will be 12 hours,” the minister said.
Responding to the locals’ demands for employment, he said, “We are building a resort, where we can put handloom and handicrafts products of locals for display. It will give employment to 500 to 600 people”.
He also said that 99 per cent of the tunnel staff has been employed locally.
“We will keep trying that local youth get jobs in other tunnels too, and Jammu and Kashmir becomes self-reliant in terms of economic growth,” he added.
Gadkari also said that he always mentions the former American president’s remark — “America is rich because American roads are good”.
Gadkari inspected highways, the Banihal bypass and the Peera-Chanderkote tunnel.
“Every tunnel saves time. Today this tunnel was completed…another tunnel will be completed soon. Within two months it will also be started,” he said.
The tunnel is part of the ongoing four-laning of the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway – the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country.
The tunnel bypasses the most vulnerable stretch of Panthyal in the Ramban district.
The work on the four-laning project started in 2011 and includes a number of small and major tunnels, bridges and flyovers. The project is likely to be completed by the next year after missing several deadlines over the past decade.
Asked about the second tube (T2) of the Kunfer tunnel, he said it will be ready within two months.
The completion of these projects will not only help resolve the issue of traffic jams on the highway to a large extent but will also cut down the distance between different points by several kilometres.
“To ease the travel between Jammu and Srinagar, 3 corridors are being built at a cost of Rs 35,000 crore. Under this, the first corridor from Jammu to Udhampur-Ramban-Banihal and further to Srinagar…,” Gadkari said.
This 4-lane road of 250 km length is being built at a cost of Rs 16,000 crore. Out of this, 4-laning of 210 km route has been completed, including 10 tunnels of 21.5 km, he said.
