Says Safe, Smooth Road Connectivity Top Priority Of Govt
Udhampur: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today visited the affected stretch of NH-44 at Thard Udhampur to take stock of the ongoing restoration works.
He was accompanied by Javed Ahmed Rana, Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs; Balwant Singh Mankotia, MLA Chenani; Saloni Rai, Deputy Commissioner Udhampur; Amod Ashok Nagpure, SSP Udhampur; Adil Hamid, SSP Traffic; besides senior officers and members of the local public.
During the visit, R.S. Yadav, Regional Officer J&K NHAI, briefed the Chief Minister about the progress of works including widening, metalling, and restoration of the second tube of NH-44.
He also apprised him of the current single-lane traffic arrangements in place to manage vehicular movement.
The Chief Minister directed the NHAI authorities to expedite the restoration process to ease the movement of commuters and the general public. He instructed the executing agencies to mobilize additional men and machinery to ensure timely completion, underlining that safe and smooth road connectivity is the top priority of the Government.
Later, the Chief Minister interacted with local residents at Thard, patiently listening to their grievances.
He assured them that the Government is making every possible effort to fully restore NH-44 at the earliest and provide necessary relief to both commuters and the public.
Apple growers have suffered losses worth hundreds of crores as the fruit-laden trucks have remained stuck on the highway for days.
This is the second time Abdullah has visited the highway amid rising anxiety among apple farmers due to the government’s failure to allow the stranded trucks to travel to Jammu and Delhi.
Continued blockage of the Highway has also led to a shortage of petrol and cooking gas in Kashmir.
“During his on-spot assessment of the NH-44 restoration work, the chief minister, accompanied by minister Javed Ahmad Rana, directed the officials concerned to expedite the process, noting that the prolonged closure is severely impacting the supply of essentials, including fresh fruit,” the chief minister’s office said in an X post.
A portion of the highway between Tharad and Balli Nalla in Udhampur was completely buried under a massive landslide during the rains in August. In Kashmir, large queues were witnessed at petrol pumps owing to fear that the petrol shortage could worsen due to continued disruption of traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.
People also complained about the non-availability of cooking cylinders as essential supplies from Delhi and other states have also been halted.