New Delhi: Proposal to build two tunnels-Singhpora-Velu and Sudhamahdev-Dunga-Par Anantnag-chainani corridor Jammu and Kashmir has hit the obstacles, with the expenditure secretary Public investment board (PIB) Recently, citing several reasons, including cost, has been rejecting the recommendation for their construction. Before, bid for Sinhapora-Velu Tunnel scattered across.
In addition to a huge cost of about Rs 8,900 crore and having an existing road connecting the original and destination in relation to each of the two packages, the board also recorded that it did not come under the strategic roads of the Ministry of Defense, although the National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) officials claimed in such a meeting.
Last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs did not approve the foreign contractor, which cited the lowest amount for the Singhpora-Velu tunnel project, resulting in termination of the tender process. The dialects for the project were invited in 2023.
PIB, who took the projects proposed by NHIDCL, also recorded that the agency did not provide traffic details on the existing and proposed road between the original and the destination. Sources said the Inter-Ministry Panel, which was kept before the cabinet for approval before approved all public-funded projects, also noted that there was no evidence of direct benefits from two projects.
PIB also said that there is a good quality alternative road.
Now, the PIB rejected them, soon the projects are uncertain at any time. Since the Finance Ministry had directed the Ministry of Road Transport not to approve any fresh project under Bharatmala, the cost of all highway works is more than Rs 1,000 crore, which needs to go to the cabinet for approval by PIB and Public Private Partnership (PPP) evaluation committee in case of public-funded and PPP projects respectively.
A source said, “The recent development and observation of PIB has shown how many such cases can happen, where the projects that are not worth taking can be cleared under the Bharmala. If the project was bid, these facts would not have come out,” a source said.
