JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary on Thursday said that the government has submitted a proposal of Rs 1,000 crore to the finance department for restoration of road infrastructure affected by last year’s flash floods and rains across the Union Territory.
Winding up the discussion on the demands for grants of the Public Works, Industries, Mining and Labour departments, Choudhary said that to decongest the twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar, the department has proposed construction of elevated corridors under the Union Territory Capex programme.
“The department, under the leadership of the chief minister, is committed to carrying out permanent restoration of damaged road infrastructure due to heavy flash floods and rains in September last year. Accordingly, an estimated amount of Rs 1,000 crore has been submitted to the Finance Department for undertaking restoration work under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI),” Choudhary said.
The deputy chief minister said that while temporary installations have been carried out in several affected habitations, permanent restoration is urgently required in many areas. “Field agencies have been authorised to initiate priority works worth Rs 25 crore,” he said.
Choudhary said that he personally monitored the restoration of 24 bridges to ensure minimal inconvenience to the public. Permanent restoration of these bridges has been completed at an estimated cost of Rs 19.15 crore, he said.
The Jammu-Srinagar road is currently being restored at a cost of Rs 5.30 crore, he added.
The deputy chief minister said that the Srinagar flyover was completed in record time.
“Five long-pending bridges in Kashmir, which had remained incomplete for 10 to 15 years, have been completed. Bridges sanctioned under World Bank funding have also been completed, with five more targeted for completion by March 2026,” he said.
To address traffic congestion in Jammu and Srinagar cities, the department has proposed construction of elevated corridors under the UT Capex programme. “These include an elevated corridor from Convent School to Rajbagh in Srinagar and another from the National Highway flyover to Maheshpura Chowk in Jammu,” he said.
The widening of the Jammu-Akhnoor road under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) will be expedited, while a bridge at Akhnoor connecting the border area is scheduled for completion during 2026-27.
Choudhary said over 100 new projects have been submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for sanction during the current financial year, while more than 1,000 road projects under PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana) Phase-IV are expected to be taken up for execution in the next financial year.
He also directed chief engineers that works within cities and towns should be taken up only with prior written recommendation of the concerned MLA.
Choudhary said that after assuming charge of the Public Works Department, significant milestones have been achieved in road and bridge development across J&K.
He said more than 18 major National Highway projects worth Rs 10,600 crore are in the pipeline during the current financial year.
“Additionally, 22 strategically important bridge projects worth Rs 172 crore have been inaugurated, improving civilian access to remote areas and strengthening defence logistics,” he said.
The deputy chief minister further said that PMGSY has played a crucial role in providing connectivity to rural areas. Over 14 per cent of the road network in J&K has been constructed under the scheme.
Under PMGSY-I, II and III, 3,742 projects covering 22,581 km have been sanctioned, of which 3,517 projects spanning 20,250 km have been completed, he said.
J&K was the first Union Territory to be onboarded under PMGSY-IV, he said and added that the department has identified 2,513 eligible habitations for all-weather connectivity.
“Under Batch-I, 316 projects covering 1,781 km and connecting 429 habitations have been sanctioned and are mostly under execution,” he said.
Besides, proposals for 1,043 road projects spanning 5,265 km and connecting 1,175 habitations have been submitted to the Ministry of Rural Development.
“DPRs for bridges under Batch-III, including 444 additional road projects, are also being prepared, with sanctions expected by March 2026,” he said.
Under NABARD’s rural infrastructure development funds, 1,145 projects worth Rs 5,245 crore have been sanctioned. “Of these, 620 are ongoing while several have been completed, including a significant number during the last two years,” he said.
Under CRIF, 2,294 projects have been sanctioned at a total cost of Rs 4,377.21 crore. “An expenditure of Rs 3,077.57 crore has been incurred so far, with Rs 641 crore required for completion of ongoing works. Of the ongoing projects, 25 are targeted for completion by March 2026 and the remaining by December 2026,” he said.
Under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment, 41 projects — including 32 roads and nine bridges — have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 133.13 crore. Four projects have been completed, while 16 are targeted for completion by March 31, 2026.
“During 2025-26 under the Capex budget, 7,068 works were sanctioned. Of these, 3,932 are targeted for completion by March 2026 and the remaining by December 2026. So far, 2,140 works have been completed and around 3,000 are in progress,” he said.
Emphasising the importance of bridges, Choudhary said that against a target of 16 bridges during 2025-26, the department has completed 35 bridges till January 2026.
Responding to demands raised by legislators, he said the department received 2,276 works estimated at Rs 2,333.7 crore from the Finance Department during Budget 2025-26, besides 1,367 additional works.
Out of the total demand of 3,640 works, 1,914 works worth Rs 1,608 crore have been accommodated and allotted to executing agencies and are at various stages of execution.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening road infrastructure and ensuring quality highway services to commuters across Jammu and Kashmir. (PTI)