Srinagar-Kargil-Leh Highway be ready for traffic from April 25

Sonamarg/Srinagar,April 14 (Scoop News) – Minister for Transport & CA&PD, Mr. Qamar Ali Akhoon on Saturday said that Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway would be ready for vehicular traffic from April 25, 2012.

            During his visit at Captain Moad, the Minister disclosed this while reviving the measures taken by BEACON authority in connection with lifting of snow as well as removing snow avalanches and other hurdles on the said road.

            On the occasion, the Minister asked the Beacon authorities to accelerate the restoration work on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway to ensure that the vital road would be thrown open for the vehicles at the earliest. The lone link between Leh and rest of the country was closed in December last year due to heavy snowfall at Zojilla pass and adjacent areas.

            The Minister stressed upon the Beacon to press more men and machinery into service for removing all the bottlenecks on the road. He also asked the administration and security agencies to ensure the safe passage of the people who are travelling on foot including vegetables and medicines carrying ponies.

            Earlier, the Engineer of the Beacon, Mr. A.P. Singh informed the Minister that presently 6 Bulldozers and near about 30 labourers have been pressed into service for removing the snow slides and other hurdles on the road.

            Meanwhile, Mr. Akhoon asked the regulating agencies to repeat the normal schedule for the movement of up down convoy of Army vehicles.

            He further said that the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways has already approved the construction of 13 kilometres long Zojilla Tunnel in Kashmir Valley to provide all season link to the twin districts of Leh and Kargil and adding that work on this project will be started this year. However, he said that the foundation stone of the first phase 6 kilometres tunnel from Gagangeer to Sonamarg would be laid according to the schedule in the month of August this year.

            The Minister said that by construction of Zojilla tunnel, a long pending demand of the people of the 2 districts of Kargil and Leh would be fulfilled.

             Later on at a meeting of district officers, he issued directions to the district officers to restore immediately the electricity, drinking water, medical facilities in Sonamarg and also asked concerned officers for lifting the snow from the parks and main market of the Sonamarg so that bulk number of visiting tourists may not face any more difficulty.

            The Minister was accompanied by Additional Deputy Commissioner, Ganderbal and various district officers.      

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