SRINAGAR: The Srinagar administration has resolved a major land acquisition issue preventing construction of a long-awaited 166-meter double-lane bridge connecting Qamarwari with Noorbagh, the statement said on Saturday.
The resolution of the issue came after a series of meetings Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary convened with the managing committee of Masjid Abu Turab at Qamarwari’s Rampora area, it said.
The 10-crore rupees project was started in 2002 but could not be completed because of issues surrounding acquisition and removal of bottlenecks.
In spite of funding of over 2.5 crore rupees through JKIDFC in 2018 covering cost escalation to complete the project the work remained stalled because of the said among a total of 18 bottlenecks along this stretch that remained.
The DC speaking in reference to it said that now that this main bottleneck in the completion of the project is sorted the work will be resumed and completed at the earliest, it said.
He also said that a plan has also been finalised for relocation of other bottlenecks which include a fire station and 16 residential and commercial structures.
Shahid said that alongside construction of the said bridge the district administration will undertake flood protection and beautification works along Jhelum besides repairing adjacent roads and installing smart lighting in the area.
This significant resolution follows a similar one earlier this month in which the district administration resolved a long-pending issue of shifting of the historic gurdwara at Zainakote enabling resumption of work which will see the expansion of Srinagar-Baramulla national highway completed.

KR Desk