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Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 3
The Centre today approved the strategic Zojila tunnel project for Jammu and Kashmir with a total capital cost of Rs 6,808.69 crore. The tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity to the Ladakh region.
According to an official release, the decision on the proposal mooted by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways was taken today at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The approval was given for the construction, operation and maintenance of the 14.15-km-long two-lane bidirectional Zojila tunnel with parallel escape (egress) tunnel of 14.20 km excluding approaches on the Srinagar-Leh section connecting NH-1A at 95 km and at 118 km in Jammu and Kashmir on engineering, procurement and construction mode,” the release said, adding that the construction of approaches (between Baltal and Minamarg) of the tunnel is being undertaken separately.
Noting that the project has “strategic and socio-economic importance”, the government in the release said, the project, once completed, would prove to be “an instrument for the development of the economically backward districts” of the state.
The construction period for the project will be seven years, which will be reckoned from the date of commencement of work.
“The civil construction cost of the project is Rs 4,899.42 crore and the total capital cost is Rs 6,808.69 crore, which will include outgo on land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities as well as maintenance and operation cost of the tunnel for four years,” it added. The project along with other ongoing projects like the 6.5-km-long Z-Morh tunnel at Gagangir will ensure safe, fast and cheap connectivity between the two regions of Kashmir and Ladakh, the release said.
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