Kathua — Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday inaugurated the vital Nora bridge along Lakhanpur-Thein road in Basohli area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district.
The 191-metre long double-lane bridge, constructed at a cost of over Rs 16.46 crore, meets a long-pending demand of the public who will no longer have to face inconvenience while travelling from Bani to Basohli, the minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Singh, who represents Udhampur parliamentary constituency which also includes Kathua, said nine underpasses are now to be constructed on the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Express corridor for the convenience of the public.
“This demand had been met four days ago,” he said, adding that the plans are on the anvil to turn Kathua into a major hub of trade and tourism.
Singh said the other notable achievements in Kathua include completion of long pending Juthana bridge, beginning of first session of Centrally funded North India’s first Homeopathic College, approval of Chattergala project, decision to shift Industrial Biotech Park to PPP model, completion of last phase of Shahpur Kandi project and revival in-principle of 100 year old Ujh Multipurpose Project.
The Minister said Juthana bridge is ready, and it will be inaugurated soon.
“After assuming charge as the Prime Minister, Modi resolved to carry out development in the underdeveloped and previously-neglected areas,” he said, adding the aim was to bring these areas at par with places already touched by development on many fronts.
Singh said the government approved last week the Chattergala project built at an estimated cost of Rs 30,345 crore.
As part of the ambitious project, the strategic tunnel costing Rs 4245 crore which will connect Kathua to Doda via Basohli Bani and Bhaderwah, he said, adding the travel time between Doda and Kathua will be reduced significantly to only three hours after the completion of the project.
Talking about the achievements of the government in the past six months in other parts of his Lok Sabha constituency, the Minister highlighted many new key projects in the area that include Sudhmahadev Tunnel, in district Doda, a new road link connecting villages like Humbal, Burgana and his native village of Kalhota with under construction NH-224.
He said these projects will be game-changers in the development journey of the entire region. — (PTI)
