The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the strategic Rs 6,809-crore Zojila pass tunnel project in Jammu & Kashmir to provide all-weather connectivity between Kashmir valley and Ladakh, which remains cut-off from the rest of the world during winters due to heavy snowfall. The Cabinet also approved the ambitious Rs 5,369-crore Jal Vikas Marg Project (JVMP) for enhanced navigation on the Haldia-Varanasi stretch of National Waterway-1 (NW-1).
In another major decision in the road and transport sector, the Cabinet approved a MoU between India and London’s transportation authority to improve public transport in the country. The MoU is aimed at improving the overall public transport system, improve passenger services and promote the use of high capacity buses in India.
“The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval to the construction, operation and maintenance of two-lane bi-directional Zojila Tunnel with Parallel Escape (Egress) Tunnel excluding approaches on Srinagar-Leh section connecting NH-1A at Km 95 and at Km 118 in Jammu & Kashmir on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode,” the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement.
Zojila pass is situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway which remains closed during winters (December to April) due to heavy snowfall and avalanches cutting off Leh-Ladakh region from Kashmir. The ambitious project was earlier marred by controversy after Congress leader Digvijay Singh had alleged that contract guidelines were violated while awarding the contract which the Ministry led by Nitin Gadkari had denied the charges.
“The project has strategic and socio-economic importance and shall be an instrument for the development of the economically backward districts in Jammu & Kashmir,” it said. The construction period of the project is seven years.
The project aims at construction of 14.15 km long two-lane bi-directional single tube tunnel with a parallel 14.2 km long egress tunnel excluding approaches between Baltal and Minamarg in the State. The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRT&H) through the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). It will further increase the employment potential for the local labourers for the project activities.
Modi also approved the signing and implementation of the MoU between Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and ‘Transport for London’, a statutory body established under the Greater London Authority Act, 1999 (UK) to improve public transport in India. This will help people from poorer strata of the society to have access to a quality public transport system, according to the Road Ministry statement.
The much awaited Jal Vikas Marg, announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his first Budget Speech in July 2014 to enable commercial navigation of at least 1,500 tonne vessels on the Ganga river, also received the go ahead.
The project falls in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and major districts under its ambit are Varanasi, Ghazipur, Ballia, Buxar, Chhapra, Vaishali, Patna, Begusarai, Khagaria, Munger, Bhagalpur, Sahibganj, Musrhidabad, Pakur, Hoogly and Kolkata.
The project is expected to be completed by March, 2023 and will provide an alternative mode of transport that will be environment friendly and cost effective. The project will contribute in bringing down the logistics cost in the country, the Government said adding that it will boost infrastructure development like multi-modal and inter-modal terminals, Roll on -Roll off (Ro-Ro) facilities, ferry services, navigation aids.
Major components of the project are fairway development, construction of the multi-modal terminals at Varanasi, Sahibganj and Haldia besides construction of inter-modal terminals at Kalughat and Ghazipur and construction of a new navigation lock at Farakka.
In another Cabinet decision, the Government also approved a revised model concession pact for projects based on public private partnership (PPP) design at major ports to make the investment climate more investor friendly. The revised Model Concession Agreement (MCA) includes providing an exit route to developers by way of divesting their equity up to 100 per cent after completion of two years from the Commercial Operation Date (COD), similar to the MCA provisions of the highway sector.