Rs 10,637-cr road and tunnel projects
Arteev Sharma
Jammu: Even as the Centre’s approval of Rs 10,637 crore mega road and tunnel projects has sparked a credit war between the ruling NC and its arch-rival PDP, the announcement has triggered a fierce backlash in Jammu region, where allegations of neglect and regional discrimination are gaining momentum.
While both regional parties jostle for ownership of the development push, the fresh fault lines have emerged in the Jammu region, where a wave of resentment is brewing over what is being termed as “complete neglect” and “discrimination” in the distribution of these projects.
Moreover, two Jammu-based cabinet ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, who also holds the portfolio of Public Works (Roads and Buildings department) and Satish Sharma, have come under sharp criticism for their “cryptic silence” over the perceived marginalization and step-motherly treatment meted out to the region.
The critics have blamed the ministers for aligning with their bosses in the National Conference “to protect their political interests” while “compromising” on Jammu’s share in developmental planning.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah publicly asserted that it was his government’s persistent efforts that led to the Centre’s approval of road and tunnel projects worth over Rs 10,600 crore. In a quick response, the PDP leaders staked claim over the prestigious Mughal Road Tunnel project, crediting party founder and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for having laid its groundwork, including the Detailed Project Report (DPR).
The NC and the PDP leaders turned to social media platforms to fight it out to take credit for the project. The NC, while claiming credit for the Tangdhar Tunnel project, posted on its official ‘X’ handle: “A promise made is a promise kept!”
Meanwhile, J&K unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also entered the fray, claiming that it was only under the “decisive leadership” of the Modi government that all these long-cherished aspirations were fulfilled.
“We express profound gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari ji for approving the construction of a crucial 9 km tunnel on Mughal Road, a project estimated at a cost of Rs 3,830 crore. For decades of deliberate neglect and empty promises, parties including NC and Congress shamefully betrayed the aspirations of the people of Rajouri-Poonch,” Vibodh Gupta, BJP general secretary, said.
The announcement has also provided enough ammo to the Congress party which has launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing its local leadership of betraying the people of Jammu.
The Congress was quick to counter the BJP’s claims. “Once again, Jammu region has been completely ignored in the allocation of critical development funds,” former minister and working president of JKPCC Raman Bhalla said while pointing out that the region has been “consistently overlooked” under the BJP’s watch.
He attributed this to the “gross failure” of local BJP leaders, who, he claimed, have failed to advocate effectively for the region’s interests at the central level. “The people of Jammu gave the BJP a clear mandate, but their expectations have been dashed. Over the last decade, the region’s voice has been silenced and its aspirations sidelined,” he added.
Senior BJP leader and former BJYM chief Dr Suresh Ajay Magotra took the opportunity to fire a salvo at the cabinet ministers from Jammu.
“Out of 19 mega projects sanctioned, there’s virtually nothing for Jammu. We have two ministers from the region in the Cabinet—why didn’t they raise their voice when these proposals were being discussed and framed? Their silence speaks volumes about their priorities,” Magotra said, demanding accountability for their alleged failure to represent Jammu’s interests.
