NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the bad condition of the national highway linking Kashmir with the rest of the country and said its poor maintenance was severely impacting reputation of Jammu and Kashmir as a tourist destination.
In the letter, Azad, who is also a former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said last year’s September floods and unprecedented rains had lead to heavy damage to the highway.
“Regrettably due attention to its proper upkeep and maintenance is not being paid which has multiplied the woes and miseries of the people of the state,” he said in his three-page letter.
Border Roads Organisation’s ‘Project Beacon’ of the Defence Ministry is maintaining the national highway.
Calling for urgent attention, Azad said this is the only route that allows supply to 80 lakh people living in the Valley and Ladakh region besides ensuring supplies to armed forces and paramilitary forces stationed in the forward areas of the Valley and strategically important region of Ladakh which shares border with China and Pakistan.
“Tourism and trade are getting badly affected by the ramshackle and rundown condition of the national highway,” Azad said.
He said while the ‘worsening’ condition of the national highway was a matter of grave annoyance to commuters, it was also ‘severely impacting’ the credibility of Jammu and Kashmir as a reputed tourist destination.
“I hope you will lend attention to the matter that it deserves to facilitate smooth and hassle-free journey of the people. I would request your kind indulgence to direct the concerned for taking urgent steps to ensure proper maintenance of the highway,” the Congress leader said.
He said besides this, people of more than three districts living in Chenab valley of Jammu region are also dependent on this highway for supply of goods.
Azad said the journey on the highway had turned out to be risky and the number of accidents has soared higher. “Traffic jams have become order of the day and travelling time has increased manifold on the road,” he said in his letter.