280 villages to fall under Delhi-Katra Expressway, land acquisition begins

JAMMU: With the issuance of land acquisition notification for the much-awaited Delhi-Katra Expressway, the work has been expedited from Keedi Gandial village of Kathua district and the project will cover as many as 280 villages in four major districts of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources in the administration here told ‘The News Now’ that the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued notification with regard to land acquisition and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and survey work for the proposed expressway commenced in the month of July from Keedi Gandial in Kathua district.
Union Minister for Highways and Transport, Nitin Gadkari as per sources has given the nod for starting this ambitious project and added that after the notification, the process of land acquisition is also going to be completed simultaneously to meet the deadline.
The Expressway, sources said that in the Union Territory will be of 157 km length, adding, “in Kathua district it will be 43.4 km, about 25 km in Samba district, 72 km in Jammu district and 16.5 km in Reasi district.”
This Expressway will reduce the current Delhi-Katra distance from 727 km to 588 km and Delhi-Amritsar distance to 405 Km allowing commuters to cover it within 5 to 6 hours, they said.
An official said that on entry into Jammu and Kashmir, the process of land acquisition related to this expansion of four-lane from 432.3 km route to 588.5 km will be expedited.
In Kathua district, land of 37 villages (20 in Hiranagar and 6 in Nagri Parole, 13 in Marheen tehsil) will be acquired, said an official.
Sharing other details he said that in Samba district land of 70 villages, (28 of Samba, 14 of Ghagwal, 21 of Vijaypur, five in Bari Brahmana, one each in Ramgarh and Rajpura) is included as per the DPR.
However, the Expressway will run through 96 villages in Jammu district include a village in Akhnoor, eight of R S Pura, 14 of Bishnah, six of Jammu South, 13 of Mandal, two of Khour, four of Jammu West, 28 of Marh, two of Jammu North in Nagrota, 11 of Dansal, one Mara Mandari, and six in Bhalwal, disclosed the official and said, “finally, on touching Katra town in Reasi district, it will be passing through 26 villages, and once completed, the national capital will be directly connected to the holy town, the base camp of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, once the Express Way will be ready.”
Sources further said that the Deputy Commissioners of respective districts, where land is to be acquired have already been appointed as Collector Land Acquisition.
Rs 35,000 crore project, which will provide direct and very short-term connectivity to Katra also holds importance for the development of Jammu and Kashmir, sources said and added, “with the first term of the Modi government, efforts were started to realize this dream, which is now going to open the doors of progress to people of this region and it will soon be a ground reality.”
Meanwhile, the Expressway will have a trauma centre, ambulance service, fire brigade, traffic police teams, bus bays, truck stops, interchanges with refreshments and recreational facilities.
The Union Ministry’s nod to a new alignment of the Delhi-Katra expressway will be connecting Amritsar directly on the project.
Updated On 9/15/2020 12:41:10 PM