FROM THE FRONT PAGE

been throwing stones (at security forces), there are many youths from the Valley who have been breaking stones to bring fortune to Kashmir,” Modi said.

The 9.2 km-long road tunnel thatboresthroughthebellyofthe lower Himalayas is an achievementofengineeringthatincorporates India’s first fully integrated mechanism to externally control everything from the movement of vehicles to the inflow and outflow of air, and even the evacuation of passengers or vehicles in distress.

The tunnel, built at a cost of Rs 3,720 crore, is at an altitude of 1,200 metres (nearly 4,000 feet). It will cut travel time on National Highway44betweenjammuand Srinagar by about two hours by shortening the distance between the cities by 30 km, and will altogether bypass Kud, Patnitop and Batote, locations where the highway is prone to being blocked by snow and landslides.

The tunnel would play an important role in creating a new history of tourism in Kashmir, Modi said. The tunnel may have been built between the districts of Udhampurandramban,“butthe people of the Valley shall never forget that it is the luck line of Kashmir”.itwouldensureperishables are not spoilt en route and farmers and fruitgrowers don’t suffer, the PM said. “This tunnel has come as a blessing for the farmers of Kashmir as they will nowbeabletobringtheirproduce to markets in Delhi for sale on time.”

Modireferredtoeveryindian’s dream of visiting Kashmir once, and asked the people of Kashmir to understand the power of tourism. Once tourism increases, Kashmir will automatically move aheadonthepathofprogressand development, he added.

Kashmir, the PM said, had the potentialtorapidlyincreaseitsper capita income. “I can realise its strength, as I have worked and lived here as an RSS worker. I know many people here and its Sufi culture. If we forget these priceless values, we will lose our present and make our future dark,” he added.