PM to review progress of Udhampur-Banihal highway four-laning project on Sept 26: Official

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will next month review the progress of the Udhampur-Banihal highway four-laning project, a top central government official said Saturday.

Amit Kumar Ghosh, the Joint Secretary, Highways, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said the prime minister will on September 26 review the progress.

Ghosh reviewed the physical and financial progress of the National Highway (NH44) four-laning project here at a high-level meeting Saturday. He also inspected the pace of work at various construction sites from Udhampur to Ramban.

Considering the importance of the NH-44 four-laning projects, Ghosh directed the district administration and construction companies to remove the bottlenecks and ensure proper fund management, an official spokesman said.

Most issues impacting project execution were also resolved on the spot, the spokesman said.

Ghosh asked the construction agencies to put in their best efforts to achieve the targets within time.

He directed the construction companies for proper maintenance and management of National Highway stretch from Nashri to Banihal so that transportation of vehicles does not get obstructed.

The DDC apprised him of public demand for framing a rehabilitation and employment plan for the families affected by land acquisition. He suggested for exploring possibility of constructing more tunnels on Ramban-Banihal stretch for avoiding land-sliding and other problems.