New commerce, petroleum, I& B secys appointed

◗ PM Modi will launch works on the Zojila tunnel which is Asia’s longest bidirectional tunnel project

New Delhi: Senior bureaucrat Amit Khare, who was the whistleblower in the infamous fodder scam of Bihar, was on Friday appointed secretary of the information and broadcasting ministry as part of a major reshuffle involving 24 top IAS officers. Anup Wadhawan and former Delhi chief secretary M. M. Kutty have been named as new commerce and petroleum secretaries respectively.

Srinagar, May 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is arriving on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, will kickstart work on the prestigious Zojila tunnel, that will provide all- weather connectivity between Ladakh and the Valley.

He will also lay foundation stones or inaugurate other infrastructure projects as well.

The PM is also expected to dedicate to the nation the 330- MW Kishenganga Power Project constructed in the Gurez area of Kashmir. “The prime minister will attend the commencement of work on Zojila tunnel on the Srinagar- Leh National Highway at an event in Jive- tsal n Leh on Saturday,” an official spokesman said.

Mr Modi will also lay foundation stone for the Srinagar Ring Road and Jammu Ring Road at separate events at the Sher- eKashmir International Conference Centre, Srinagar and at the General Zorawar Singh Auditorium in Jammu.

Union minister for roads Nitin Gadkari will also be present at the events.

The 14- kilometre long Zojila tunnel will be India’s longest road tunnel and Asia’s longest bidirectional tunnel.

Earlier this year, the Prime Minister, had approved the construction, operation and maintenance of this two- lane bi- directional tunnel with parallel escape tunnel between Baltal and Minamarg on SrinagarLeh section of National Highway at a cost of ` 6,800 crore.

The construction of this tunnel will provide allweather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh.