PM's decision to rename Chenani-Nashri Tunnel after Jan Sangh founder unprecedented: Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the government has renamed India's longest Chenani-Nashri Tunnel in J&K after Bhartiya Jana Sangh founder 'Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee' and termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision as "unprecedented". At an official ceremony to rename the tunnel here, the road transport and highways minister said it is an apt tribute to recognise Mukherjee's sacrifices who worked for national integration.

He also said the government has undertaken Rs 60,000-crore infrastructure projects in Jammu & Kashmir over the past five years, including this tunnel on NH-44 with a cost of Rs 2,600 crore. The tunnel links the Kashmir Valley with Jammu through an all-weather route.

Gadkari added that the Centre is committed to overall development and prosperity of Jammu & Kashmir and roads play a pivotal role in this. "The renaming of the tunnel has been an unprecedented decision of the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi)... Jammu and Kashmir has seen massive work in infrastructure space in the last five years, which surpasses the work done in the last 50 years.

"We undertook projects worth Rs 60,000 crore, including the Rs 2,600-crore tunnel," Gadkari said at the ceremony. He also said the renaming has been done under special circumstances as generally the government's policy is not to do so.

He said also said that "during the year-long celebrations of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the national highway starting from Kapurthala connecting Gobindwal Sahib and terminating near Tarn Taran in Punjab has been named as 'Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Marg'". "The work has started in the Kartarpur corridor which goes to Pakistan. Generally, our policy is not to name highways but these are done under special circumstances," he said and added that like wise the Bogibeel Bridge in Assam that connects Dhola in Arunachal Pradesh to Sadiya in Assam has been renamed after iconic artiste Bhupen Hazarika.

Gadkari said a number of highway and bridge projects are underway in Jammu & Kashmir and work will start soon on Zojila tunnel. He said the Chenani-Nashri tunnel has resulted in saving of the fuel to the tune of Rs 27 lakh daily and has seen increased traffic which is to the tune of 15,000 to 20,000 PCUs (passenger car units) daily.

"We are building an express highway between Delhi and Katra so that we can reach Katra in six hours. Roads usher in development and prosperity. We are committed to making Jammu & Kashmir rich," the minister said. He also said the Delhi-Katra highway will go through Haryana and Punjab. After abrogation of Article 370, the state will see coming of information technology companies, private investment, boost in hotel and tourism industry, he said.

The decision comes over two months after abrogation of the provisions of Article 370. President Ram Nath Kovind on August 7 had declared abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution after both houses of Parliament had passed a resolution in this regard. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017 had dedicated to the nation the 9-km long Chenani-Nashri Tunnel that reduces the distance between Jammu and Srinagar by 31 km.

The tunnel, bypassing snow-bound upper reaches, reduces the journey time by two hours and provides a safe, all-weather route to commuters travelling from Jammu and Udhampur to Ramban, Banihal and Srinagar. The tunnel is equipped with world-class security systems.

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