Rajouri-Thanamandi road in shambles

Shyam Sood

Rajouri, July 16

The 22-km Rajouri-Thanamandi road, being executed and maintained by the Border Road Organisation (BRO), is in extremely miserable condition.

Being the shortest route to Kashmir Valley, this road meets the historical Mughal road at Bafliaz in Poonch district. Hundreds of private, tourist and passenger vehicles and trucks take this road to enter Kashmir valley from Jammu and other parts of the country and vice versa.

“The entire stretch of the road, from Rajouri to Thanamandi town (tehsil headquarters) is filled with huge pits and potholes, causing enormous problems to the commuters,” said Haji Maqbool.

People alleged that the road had not been upgraded for the past many years.

“In April 2015, a tender was released for double-laning of this road at a cost of Rs155.93 lakh. Reportedly, a private consultant was engaged by the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF) for the survey,” sources said.

But forest clearance and land acquisition had delayed the project, they maintained.

On April 24, DC MA Asad directed the Commandant, 31 BRTF, to immediately repair the Rajouri-Thanamandi road, but no action has been taken till date.

After continuous public resentment and taking serious note of the dilapidated condition of the road, the Deputy Commissioner on Monday gave seven days to the BRO authorities to fill the potholes, improve the drainage system and remove the encroachments on the road.

He also sought information as to why the widening work had not been taken up yet.

“The BRO authorities have also been asked to place indent so that the land acquisition process can be started,” said the DC.

“Out of the 22 kms of the road, the first 3.9 kms have been concretised and widening work of the remaining road will be started soon,” a BRO official said.