Srinagar: Advisor to Lt. Governor, Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar Tuesday reviewed the progress of the ongoing Mughal Road project. The project is being executed at an estimated cost of Rs 639.85 crores.
Speaking at a reviewing meeting, the Advisor emphasised on maintaining the road properly as it is the viable alternative link between the two divisions and rest of the country. On the occasion, he advised that all the efforts should be made to make it an all weather road as the condition of National Highway remains adverse due to weather vagaries and ongoing expansion of the road.
The meeting was attended by Mughal Road Project Chief Engineer besides other concerned officers.
The Advisor further advised the executing agency that all the components of the project should be executed in tandem in the fair weather coming ahead so that the requisite achievement regarding the progress on the project is registered.
The Advisor maintained that all the necessary safety measures should be kept all along the road besides use of signs and other equipment should also be employed.
The Advisor also called for synergic efforts among different executing agencies for the snow clearance so that the road would be made motorable for vehicle movement.
During the presentation given on the occasion the different components of the project were elucidated. It was revealed that civil work component of Rs 541.31 crore, compensation of Rs 40.36 crore and shifting of services, and purchase of equipment worth Rs 58.18 crore are included in the project.
It was also given in the meeting that an amount of Rs 51.83 crore were incurred on the maintenance of the road from the year 2013-14 and in the eight year (2020-21) of its commissioning an amount of Rs 35 crore has been proposed for the purpose.
The meeting was informed that Rs 804.40 lakh has been incurred on the project in the year 2019-20 upto ending October 2019 and from November onwards till March, 2020 an expenditure of Rs 738.29 lakhs has been made.
For the current fiscal many of the proposed works has been allotted or tendered out which include removal of slips, slides, laying of wet mix and macadam, improvement of damaged stretches etc.
It was further revealed in the meeting that the road was envisaged in the year 1969 and subsequently taken up for execution in 1977. The work on the project was stalled in the year 1990 in view of exigent nature of circumstances then. In the year 2004 the road was sanctioned under PM’s Reconstruction Plan. The work got resumed in the year 2006 and DPR prepared in March 2008 and the work is going on for its completion.
