By 2022, Valley will be connected with Kanyakumari by train

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has announced that Kashmir will be connected to Kanyakumari by train by next year-end.

Sinha made the announcement after laying the foundation stone for four national highway projects worth ₹3,612 crore in Jammu and Kashmir, including the Srinagar Ring Road project.

Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari was also present at the function on Monday evening.

“By December 2022, Kashmir will be connected to Kanyakumari by train. Besides, the national highway projects will catalyse the overall socio-economic development of the Union Territory,” Sinha said.

The projects include strengthening and upgrading 43km of existing carriageway on the Baramulla-gulmarg section of National Highway-701a; the construction of a new double lane bypass from Donipawa via Ashajipora connecting NH-244 and NH-44; the construction and upgrade of a 28km stretch from Vailoo to Donipawa on the Khellani-khanabal section of NH-244, besides the construction of the much-awaited Ring Road around Srinagar city.

The lieutenant governor said that from national highways to rural roads, the infrastructure in the UT had become stronger than ever. “Till 2014, there were only seven national highways in erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir, including Ladakh. In 2021, the number of national highways has increased to 11 in J&K alone. In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced road infra projects worth ₹40,900 crore for J&K, out of which work on projects of about ₹38,000 crore is underway,” he said.

He said that J&K today has the distinction of being the third UT in the country in terms of road construction.