Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, is set to chair a high-level meeting in Jammu & Kashmir on June 17 to assess the status of various developmental projects, officials announced on June 16.
Key topics on the agenda include the readiness of the Amarnath Yatra track and the condition of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway to ensure a smooth pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine, which commences on June 29 and concludes on August 19 spanning 52 days.
Notably, this meeting marks Gadkari's first visit to Jammu & Kashmir since assuming charge of the Road Transport and Highways Ministry following the Lok Sabha elections.
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took to microblogging site X, expressing his displeasure at Gadkari's visit which coincides with the festival of Id-ul-Adha or Bakrid.
"He would never do this on Diwali in UP or on Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra. Very insensitive but then we’ve come to expect no better from this BJP Government & its J&K branch," he wrote on X.
Several strategically significant projects, including the Zojila tunnel in the Union Territory of Ladakh, will be discussed. Once operational, this tunnel will provide year-round road connectivity between Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, and the rest of India, overcoming the current seasonal closures during winter months.
A priority project for the Central government is the construction of the highway along the Amarnath Yatra track from Baltal and Pahalgam base camps. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has already widened the track, laid surface blocks, and addressed curves and slopes to facilitate safer and easier passage for pilgrims.
The meeting will review developmental projects totaling over Rs one lakh crore currently underway in Jammu & Kashmir. Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Dr. Jitendra Singh, and Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, along with officials directly involved in these projects, will present comprehensive progress reports.
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