Srinagar : Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Kumar Choudhary Tuesday informed the Legislative Assembly that total road length of 118.06 KMs has been successfully macadamized/upgraded across Srinagar District during the current financial year through the joint efforts of the PW(R&B) Department and the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC).
The Minister was replying to a question raised by the legislator Ali Mohammad Sagar. The Minister said that under special development directives, 15.43 KMs of road length have been upgraded specifically within the Khanyar Constituency till date. The Minister informed the house that the R&B Department’s community centres in Srinagar have generated an annual revenue of ₹6,83,000/- in the 2025-26, up from ₹4,15,000/- in the previous year, which is being actively utilized toward essential maintenance works.
The Minister said that the department continues to aggressively pursue bottleneck removals on historic transit corridors under the oversight of the High-Level Committee (HLC). “With regard to Syed Meerakshah Road (SMS Road), out of the total 10.33 Km stretch, 2.68 Km has been fully widened (25.95% physical progress) and settlement as well as acquisition have been successfully completed for 132 out of 332 affected structures. Similarly, for Khanyar-Zadibal-Pandrath (KZP Road), the total road length is 12.45 K Out of 314 structures, 161 structures have already been acquired, achieving a physical widening of approximately 2.00 Km of the road corridor.
In respect of Koolipora-Budoobagh Road (Special Reference) a critical 435-metre road widening project has achieved a completed stretch of 231 metres. Out of 29 structures, 14 have been cleared. The remaining 15 cases are currently undergoing fast-tracked resolution. The project stands approved at an estimated cost of ₹450.00 lakh”, the Minister informed.
Deputy Chief Minister further informed the House that the widening and upgradation proposal for the Devi Angan-Hawal Road has been submitted under the CRIF scheme at an estimated cost of Rs 31.25 crore. The proposal includes Rs 30 crore for land acquisition and utility shifting and Rs 1.25 crore for development works along an approximately 1.40-kilometre stretch. The project will be taken up after the requisite approval is received under the scheme. On the Alamgiri Bazar Chowk project, Deputy Chief Minister stated that the work has been authorised under the UT Sector at an estimated cost of Rs 335 lakh, including acquisition of five structures and redesigning of the junction.
Administrative approval has been accorded by the Chief Engineer, Public Works (R&B) Department, Central Kashmir. An amount of Rs 20 lakh was allocated during the financial year 2025–26, while the case is presently under examination at the Administrative Department level for further necessary action and release of funds. With regard to the Buchpora- Hazratbal Road, the House was informed that administrative approval for the revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) is awaited. Land acquisition cases pertaining to 34 structures have been taken up under the Bottleneck Removal Component, of which two structures have already been acquired. An amount of Rs 700 lakh has been received for the removal of the bottleneck, of which Rs 20 lakh has been disbursed for the acquisition of two structures. The remaining amount is pending revalidation, while further acquisition will be undertaken subject to the availability of requisite funds, he added.
The Deputy Chief Minister also apprised the House of the progress on the Babapora-Haba Kadal Road, which has been substantially cleared, with only four structures remaining to be removed. Regarding the Habba Kadal-Gowkadal Road, the Deputy Chief Minister informed the Assembly that 24 structures are presently pending acquisition. An amount of Rs 21 lakh is available for the project, while additional funds are required to complete the acquisition of the remaining structures and facilitate further widening work. On the Fateh Kadal to Habba Kadal via Chinkral Mohalla Road, the Deputy Chief Minister stated that the widening stretch involves 176 structures requiring acquisition and removal. Of these, 13 structures have been notified under Section 4, while 8 structures have already been acquired through the High-Level Committee.
The acquisition and removal of the remaining structures will be taken up subject to the availability and release of the requisite funds. “The Government acknowledges that certain stretches face delays due to active court litigations, missing Section 4 notifications, localized family title disputes, or ongoing compensation evaluations. Following the decisions of the 264th HLC meeting, the department is implementing the streamlined PNC mechanism to settle all pending land acquisition claims efficiently”, the Minster further said. The Minister that the Department is coordinating closely with the Collector, Land Acquisition (PWD) to ensure seamless validation and timely release of remaining compensation funds to minimize public inconvenience and deliver a modernized road network for Srinagar. MLA Hazratbal Salman Ali Sagar raised supplementary.
