Basohli (Kathua)/Jammu, May 23 (Scoop News) – UPA Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi today laid foundation of Rs. 150 crore, 592 meters long Cable Stayed Bridge on 10.5 kilometers Dunera-Bani road over river Ravi in Basohli area of Jammu division. The two-lane class A bridge with 13.93 meters width will have 1.5 meter wide footpaths on either side. The length between towers will be 350 meters and approaches 121 meters. The height of pylons is designed to be 88 meters above the deck level. The bridge is likely to be completed by 2014 end.
The bridge will connect Basohli with Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and open new avenues of economic development in the area from Kishtwar-Doda to Basohli by opening up the backward and cut-off areas for economic activities.
Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, Union Ministers, A. K. Antony, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister of State P. Raju, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand, Ministers, Peerzada Mohammad Sayed, Raman Bhalla, R. S. Chib, Shyam Lal Sharma, Niwang Rigzin Jora, Ghulam Hassan Mir, Ministers of State, Manahor Lal, Javid Ahmad Dar, Shabir Ahmad Khan, Ajaz Ahmad Khan, Parliament Member, Ch. Lal Singh, JKPCCI Chief, Prof. Saif-ud-Din Soz, legislators and prominent citizens of the area were present on the occasion.
Sonia Gandhi also addressed a public rally on the occasion and highlighted the importance of the Bridge for the socio-economic development of the area in particular and that of Jammu and Kashmir in general.
The public meeting was also addressed by J&K CM Omar Abdulla, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister for Health, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Parliament Member, Ch. Lal Singh and others.