Engage J&K youth in central road projects: Omar to Indian Govt.

            Srinagar, August 23 (Scoop News) — Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah has taken up the issue of employment of locals in National Highway Project with the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Kamal Nath to ensure maximum jobs for J&K youth in the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway Project (NH-1A).

            In a letter addressed to Union Minister, the Chief Minister has underlined the need for giving preference to the engagement of locals in NH-1A Project in the State to help address the serious problem of unemployment. He urged for directions to the companies undertaking construction of roads and tunnels on NH-1A Project for engaging locally available educated youth including the technical, skilled and unskilled workers.

            The Chief Minister in his letter has also called for providing sub contracts to the locally available contractors to enhance the economic activities and help generate more economic avenues for the people in Jammu and Kashmir.

            Omar Abdullah also identified the requirement of more flyovers on the National Highway which have not been included in the four lane Rs. 10,000 crore Srinagar-Lakhanpur NH-1A Highway Project. The Flyovers identified are at Bemina and Sanantnagar on Srinagar Bypass road and Greater Kailash on Jammu Bypass. Omar stressed on including these flyovers as a part of the project.

            The Chief Minister in his letter highlighting these two demands has written “I would therefore request you kindly to issue necessary directions to the concerned so that these two issues are appropriately addressed. Needless to say that we in this state are facing serious problem of unemployment and therefore, it is extremely necessary that the companies who come to execute the NH-1A Project in the state give professional treatment to the locally available educated youth including the technical, skilled and unskilled workers and locally available sub contractors”.

             The Chief Minister last week reviewed the status of NH-1A Project at a high level meeting here and underscored the necessity of engaging locally available youth in the works besides allotting sub-contractors to locals.

            Presently, construction of about 18 km four lane National Highway Project is under construction in Srinagar from Parimpora to Athwajan involving construction of four bridges at various places on this Bypass. The work is likely to be completed by the end of next year. Out of the total estimated cost of Rs. 212 crore, more than Rs. 176 crore have been expended on it so far registering 82.50 percent physical achievement by July end this year.

            On Jammu side, construction of 114 km four lanning of the project from Lakhanpur –Jammu including 15 km of Jammu Bypass is also in progress at a cost of Rs. 592 crore.

            The major structures of the project to be constructed include two long tunnels of 9.2 km and 8.5 km in Chenani-Nashri sector and Qazigund–Banihal sector respectively, 12 short tunnels of 6.2 km length, 34 major bridges and 24 viaducts.

            The Chief Minister has emphasized the requirement for including three more flyovers in the project, two in Srinagar and one at Jammu as has been found necessary for the prestigious 400 km National Highway Project from Srinagar to Lakhanpur.

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