MoS VK Singh visits Doda, inspects projects' progress in district

Doda (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], October 31 (ANI): Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Gen VK Singh Monday visited Doda as a part of the ongoing Public Outreach Programme.
The minister reviewed the progress and performance of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), R&B and GREF and also took a detailed review of package-wise progress on alternate NH 244.
During his visit to various ongoing development projects, Gen Singh instructed the executing agencies to stick to the timeline and ensure the completion of NH244 and other projects within the given time frame.
The minister also directed the district administration to send details of bottlenecks in all the projects, be the forest clearance or non-acquisition of land, so that the same can be taken up with concerned authorities for early redressal. During the meeting, he also administered the 'Ekta and Vigilance' pledge at the conference hall.
The minister also inspected ongoing work on the upcoming Khellani tunnel, for which he was informed that 36 per cent of the work on both tubes is completed and the tentative date of completion of the tunnel project is scheduled for 2023.
Singh directed the engineers to get the best expertise and use contemporary technology to give the public a state-of-the-art infrastructure without harming the ecology of the area.
The minister also inaugurated the link road to Nai Dangri, constructed by PWD, at an estimated cost of Rs 191 lakh. He also laid the foundation stone of the water supply scheme Pranu under JJM built at an estimated cost of over Rs 400 lakh benefitting Shahpura and Malnai villages.
He further directed that 'Paani Simitis' shall be given charge of micro-level management of all the water supply schemes for better management.
The minister also inspected various stalls highlighting the individual and community welfare schemes run by different departments, at Doda. He distributed tractors among the beneficiaries of the Agriculture department. He also distributed Power Tillers, sanction letters of Water Harvesting Tanks and Vermicomposts among the beneficiaries of the Horticulture Department.
Pertaining to the sanctioned Chatergalla tunnel which shall connect Doda via Bhaderwah with Kathua District, he was informed that this tunnel will give all-weather road connectivity and will reduce the present distance by 28 kms.
The minister was also informed that all the road projects under NHIDCL, GREF, PWD and PMGSY are being monitored regularly so that they can be dedicated to the public in the shortest possible time.
Gen VK Singh also held an interactive session with elected public representatives and delegations of District Development Council and Block Development Council members, other Panchayati Raj institutions, and Urban Local Bodies members and councillors. He assured the public representatives and delegations that their genuine issues and demands will be redressed in a time-bound manner. (ANI)