8 years on, Rajouri-Budhal road awaits blacktopping

Shyam Sood

Rajouri, October 18

Residents of the Kotranka and Budhal areas in Rajouri district have expressed their resentment over the delay in the upgrade of the 54-km Rajouri-Budhal road.

The General Reserve Engineer Force is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the road for the past eight years.

The residents alleged that the delay in the upgrade of the road had a negative impact on the economic as well as infrastructural development of the area.

The widening and blacktopping work on the road was undertaken by the Rajouri-based 31 Border Roads Task Force under the aegis of the Border Roads Organisation in 2010.

“Since a long time, the General Reserve Engineer Force is executing the work on this road, but only a few kilometres have been repaired to date. The remaining stretch of the road is still in a bad shape,” said MZ Sagar, president, All J&K Youth Federation.

The upgrade of the road was executed by the 110 RCC Company while the cutting, widening and retaining wall work has already been completed.

The work to upgrade the road was divided into two segments i.e. from 0 km to 27 km (up to Kotranka town) and 27 km to 54 km up to Budhal town.

Encroachments at 248 places on the 54-km road, which have been cleared now, and about 27-km stretch falling under the winter zone (limited period for construction) are among a few reasons that have delayed the upgrade of this road.

Tenders for blacktopping were called in 2015 and the work was also handed over to a contractor.

“Due to the slow pace of blacktopping, the road is still in a bad condition,” said Mohd Yousuf, a former member of the panchayat.

“The work to upgrade the Rajouri-Budhal road will be completed soon and I will personally monitor the progress,” said MA Asad, district development commissioner.