J-K: Remote villages in Rajouri get road connectivity for first time since Independence

Rajouri (Jammu and Kashmir) [India] December 5 (ANI): For the first time since independence, the government has established road connectivity to the remote villages in the Kalakote sub-division of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, connecting them to the Tehsil headquarters, the district headquarters, and the Rajouri-Kalakote highway.
The road connectivity across the key stretch from Patta to Ghodar village, along with previously unconnected Arras villages, has been established.
Constructed under the NABARD scheme, these 5-6 villages had no motorable roads before. Locals publicly expressed their gratitude to the Modi Government for providing connectivity in these hilly, remote areas of the Pir Panjal Mountain Range.
Jagdev Singh, a local resident, expressed gratitude to the government for finally constructing the road after 70 years. He highlighted that this new connectivity allows children to attend school and pursue their education.

"I thank the government, as the road got constructed after 70 years for the first time. It was an underdeveloped area...the children of this area were illiterate and did not go to school, they used to be far...now they go to school.... I thank the government....." Singh told ANI.
Expressing gratitude to the government, Manohar Lal, another resident of the area, said that earlier, people faced difficulties due to the lack of proper roads. He added that under PM Modi's government, the area has now received roads and electricity, bringing significant relief to the residents.
"Government has done good....earlier, we used to face difficulties... we have got benefits under the PM Modi government...there are roads in every home...there is electricity...earlier there was nothing....children used to walk to school...there was no connectivity....I thank PM Modi... good work is going on... when our elders used to get sick, we used horses... even government officials could not travel to this village...Children and teachers faced problems in reaching this village....there was difficulty in taking the elders to hospitals...PM Modi has done a lot of work...." Lal told ANI.
After decades of isolation, villages like Patta, Ghodar, and nearby hamlets now have basic road access, providing safety, education, and livelihoods to the people of these villages.
Hardev Singh, Assistant Engineer in the PWD, stated that the length of the road currently under construction is 3 km, with a project cost of two crore forty-eight lakhs. He emphasised that their goal is to provide connectivity to remote areas of the village and expressed hope that they will successfully connect every part of the village.
"We are constructing a road from Patachui Babli to Pir Malla Godhad via Middle School, Pata. The length of this road is 3 km. We are going to do DT on this road. We have 50 mm BM and 30 mm PC on this road. What is the cost of this road? The cost of this road is Rs. 2,48,00,000. This contractor is Mr Sahil Bhatt. We are providing very good connectivity. All the far-flung areas will be connected. This is our NABARD scheme. We have 10-12 schemes of NABARD. Hopefully, we will connect all the areas," Singh told ANI.
As the villages witness the development of roads, Muhammad Tanveer, the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Kalakote, stated that several significant projects are currently underway under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). For instance, the road from Kalakote to Suhot is under construction, with 50% of it already completed. This project is expected to be finished by March.
In addition to this, Tanveer mentioned that the PMGSY has sanctioned two roads in Mughla and two in Kalakote. Furthermore, under the NABARD scheme, there is a district plan for both cities and towns. At the panchayat level, rural connectivity is supported through panchayat funds.
"If we talk about the rural connectivity, we have PWD, PMGSY, Rural Development departments. Every department is trying to ensure that no area is unconnected. If we talk about PMGSY, there are already some big projects going on. For example, the Kalakote to Suhot road is also under construction. 50% of the road is under construction. It will be completed by March. In PMGSY, Kala Kot is under construction. Two roads have been sanctioned in Mughla and two in Kala Kot. There are already two projects going on. In the Nabard scheme, there is a district plan for the city and town. There is rural connectivity in other schemes as well. In the panchayat level, there is rural connectivity in the panchayat funds. In the PRI scheme, there is rural connectivity. So, we are trying to ensure that no area is unconnected. Our department is also trying to ensure that all projects are sanctioned on priority pay. So, we are trying to ensure that no area is unconnected," Tanveer told ANI. (ANI)