NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and MoS PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Chhatergala Tunnel along the 170 km Basholi-Bhadarwah-Doda newly declared National Highway is expected to cost over Rs 3,500 Cr though the estimated cost may go up further by the time the entire project is complete because it will have to go through different phases of alignment survey, land demarcation, hi-tech engineering skills, etc.
He said, after the work on tunnel starts, it may take nearly 10 to 15 years to complete, but there will be a sense of satisfaction for him and the present team of concerned MLAs that they had contributed in pushing forward this proposal.
Singh was speaking to media persons after MLA Bhadarwah, Dilip Singh Parihar called on him today, especially to felicitate and thank him for having got the Central Government’s approval for a long pending demand for the construction of Chhatergala tunnel. Parihar said, people of the entire region are extremely jubilant at the prospect of the construction of Chhatergala tunnel and they will remain grateful to Dr Jitendra Singh for several generations to come. Elaborating on some of the salient features of the sanctioned tunnel, Dr Jitendra Singh said, it will be a game-changer for the entire Chenab region and will also change the face of scenic towns of Bhadarwah, Bani and Basohli.
Around 6.2 km long Chhatergala tunnel, Dr Jitendra Singh said, will save the travel distance by over 26 kms and also reduce the travel time by over two hours. Not only this, the tunnel would provide ensured all-weather connectivity with approach roads being straight and not requiring any major bridges or avalanche protection structures, he added.
Dr Jitendra Singh said,the tunnel along the 170 km long new National Highway, will uplift the socio-economic conditions of both the Chenab region as well as the Basholi-Bani belt. This will not only increase the tourist flow manifold, but also help generate new avenues of employment, he said.