Jammu, Feb 18 ; The government on Wednesday made it clear that the tender for the much-awaited Mughal Road tunnel will not be floated until the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is cleared by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRT&H) and all statutory clearances—forest, wildlife and land acquisition—are in place.
Replying to a query by MLA Ch. Mohammad Akram in the Legislative Assembly, the minister in-charge as per news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS) said the alignment proposed by DPR consultant M/s SMEC (India) Pvt. Ltd. was discussed with the Ministry on January 21. Work on the DPR will begin only after the Centre signs off on the alignment, he said.
Officials said the project, once completed, will provide all-weather connectivity on the Mughal Road, the alternative route to the Jammu-Srinagar highway that remains shut for months every year due to heavy snow at Pir-ki-Gali pass.
“The invitation of tenders for the tunnel project shall be undertaken only after approval of the DPR by MoRT&H and after obtaining all requisite statutory clearances, including Forest, Wildlife and Land Acquisition clearances, as per rules,” the minister told the House.
The statement effectively rules out any immediate start to construction, with multiple regulatory layers still to be crossed before the project can move to the tendering stage. (KNS)
