JAMMU: Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh on Friday formally launched the work on a modern Bus Stand Project at Jammu to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 201.68 crore.
The prestigious project, which comprises a modern General Bus Stand and a Multi-tier parking lot is proposed to be completed within a time frame of 18 months.
The Deputy Chief Minister also inaugurated the newly constructed shopping complex at Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT) Narwal where 75 traders displaced from the General Bus Stand have been rehabilitated. The shopping complex has been completed at a cost of Rs 1.84 crore by the Jammu Development Authority within a short span of two and a half months. The Deputy Chief Minister also distributed Letter of Intent to the allottees. Vice Chairman Jammu Development Authority, Mubarak Singh informed the dignitaries present on the occasion that JDA is also providing amenities viz. water coolers and pay and use toilets in the ISBT complex to cater to the added load due to shifting of 75 shops and idle parking of buses of Banihal and Poonch routes from the GBS.
Minister of State for Tourism, Culture and Education, Ms. Priya Sethi, legislators, Ramesh Arora, Charanjeet Singh Khalsa, Rajesh Gupta, senior BJP leader, Yudhvir Sethi, Divisional Commissioner, Dr Pawan Kotwal, Commissioner Secretary Housing and Urban Development Department, Hirdesh Kumar, IGP Jammu Danish Rana, DIG Jammu Ashkoor Wani, Chief Engineer PWD (R&B) Alok Mengi, Commissioner Jammu Municipal Corporation, Manmohan Singh, Director Floriculture Jammu, K.K Sharma and senior officers of various departments were present on the occasions.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister said that the prestigious project of General Bus Stand which was a long pending demand of the Jammu will be constructed on modern lines and will cater to the needs of Jammu. With the completion of the project, the parking problem of the Jammu city will be overcome upto large extent, said Dr. Singh.
Listing series of measures initiated for the development of Jammu city, the Deputy Chief Minister said that Government lays utmost focus on the state of the art tourism infrastructure and developing facilities for pilgrims visiting this historic city from across the world.
“The development plan for Jammu includes the prestigious Tawi River front project which is going to add new dimensions to the city’s beautification and bring it on the international tourism map” he said. He further said that development of artificial lake, Mubarak Mandi to Mahamaya Temple Rope way, development of Royal Complex at Mubarak Mandi as Dogra heritage site are other projects which would make Jammu city as independent tourism destination- the demand often raised by the stakeholders in the backdrop of situation created with the start of direct train to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine base camp Katra. Referring to steps taken to decongest city roads, he said as a short term measures many other hi-tech parking places are being created at Superbazar, Circular Road, Panjthirthi, Gandhi Nagar , City Chowk and other places.
A plantation drive was also launched in the premises of ISBT on the occasion.