NewsID: 37 Author Muhammad Azhar, Public Relations Officer ERA Dated 05 August 2011
Subject J&K ERA spends Rs 443 crores on 51 Transport packages in Kashmir division.
332 kms of road length macadamized,4 transport packages and 10 bridges completed.
Jammu and Kashmir Economic Reconstruction Agency (JKERA) under the Transport sector of its ongoing Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded Multisector Project for Infrastructure Rehabilitation (MPIR) has so far spend Rs 443 crores on 51 Transport projects taken up by agency for execution in Kashmir division including some in Ladakh region.
JKERA had taken up improvement/up gradation of 29 roads projects having total length of 446 kms and construction of 22 bridges in Kashmir division and so far expenditure of Rs 386 crores has been made by agency on these 29 road improvement/ upgradation projects and blacktopping of 322 kms of road length has been completed , out of the total road length of 446 kms.Work on four road packages which include Rs 33.23 crores Lethpora-Panthachowk loop road (38 kms), Rs 10.20 crore Sumbal-Markundal-Hajin-Madwan (15.83 km), Rs 38 crores Sangrama- Sopore (27.7 km) and Rs 15 crores Potkhah-Pachar (15.74 km ) has been completed.
Further under the bridge sub-sector Rs 57 crores has been spent by the agency on the construction of 22 bridges in Kashmir division. Ten bridges have already been completed at the cost of Rs 22.08 crores and these include Kanikadal, Gundtaldara, Teilbal bridges in Srinagar district, Town hall and Naraspora bridges in Budgam district, Laktipora and Soafshali bridges in Anantnag district, Dachnipora and Yarbugh bridges in Baramulla district and Popchan in Bandipora district. Work on remaining 12 bridges spread across Kashmir division including two in Ladakh region is in progress.
The planning stage of the project like Summary Appraisal Reports,(SARs) Due Diligence Reports (DDRs) and other technical parameters for these transport works were completed in 2006 and physical work on most of these projects started in 2007-08. Although initial deadline for completion of work on these packages was 24 – 36 months but due to the obtaining circumstances in 2008 and 2010 causing demobilization of contractors and consequent delays in executing work on most of these projects. At the request of state Govt and JKERA, Asian Development Bank (ADB) was pleased to extend the validity of loan upto Dec 2012 and has given such a time extension in case of J&K.As on date contractors on all Transport packages have been fully mobilized and overall progress of 72% has been achieved on the these. However work on certain projects which include improvement and upgradation of Chadoora-Charier-Sharief , Sopore-Bandipore and Shadra-Kamalkote is being monitored closely and strict instructions have been given to contractors to further accelerate pace of work on these projects which have witnessed slippages in execution on account of some contractual issues
Economic Reconstruction Agency 