Remote Kashmir roads to target militancy, provide jobs

JAMMU - This is one road less travelled in the over two decades of bloody militancy in troubled Jammu and Kashmir. But now the state government is focussing in a major way on road construction in remote mountain areas to not only create jobs and bring development but also help wipe out terrorism.

Of the nearly 2,200 road projects taken up by the state’s roads and buildings department, 75 percent are remote and rural roads.

“We are focussing more on roads in remote areas as they help in wiping out militancy from there by providing easy accessibility to security forces,” Roads and Buildings Minister Ghulam Mohammad Saroori told IANS in an interview.

The state government’s mantra for the roads project is wiping out militancy, creating jobs and boosting the economy, besides promoting tourism.

Saroori said: “The centre has included Jammu and Kashmir also in the package that was granted to northeast states for construction of roads in insurgency-affected areas.”

The move to have road projects in remote and rural areas has been discussed with union Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath, Saroori added.

“Now we are also focusing on roads in militancy-infested areas so that security forces reach there faster and the roads also boost the economy, provide jobs and bring development to the area,” Saroori said.

Citing examples, the minister pointed out that road connectivity to remote areas like Sinthan, Anshan, Dachan, Marwah in Kishtwar district, Loran and Mandi in Poonch and many such areas in Rajouri, Doda, Reasi, Udhampur and Kathua districts of the Jammu region and Kupwara, Baramulla, Shopian, Anantnag, Bandipore, in the Kashmir Valley “has helped us in clearing the area of militants”.

The minister specifically mentioned vital road links like the 34 km-long link between Gool (in Reasi district of the Jammu region) with Kulgam (in south Kashmir), and the Kishtwar-Sinthan road (Jammu region).

“Both these roads are important from the security point of view as well because of the presence of militants in thick forests there. Militancy started waning as the road link came through.”

Saroori noted that the 84 km-Mughal Road being built at a cost of Rs.639 crore would be one of the vital links between Kashmir Valley and the twin districts of Rajouri-Poonch in the Jammu region.

“The fair-weather road link is through and we will throw it open by June-July this year.” This road too passes though thick mountainous forests which earlier offered a safe haven to militants.

With more road projects coming up in remote and rural areas, the local population was involved in the construction work, generating employment in the area.

“I have ordered that all big and small contractors be allotted work on merit, besides employing local labourers in the work,” Saroori said.

The minister, referring to the recently constructed road from Kishtwar to Anshan, militancy-infested areas in Kishtwar, disclosed: “When I inaugurated the road, the people there were happy to see a bus for the first time. They had seen helicopters (used for security and evacuation purposes) but had not seen a bus.”

With the construction of these roads in remote areas, food grains and supplies are expected to reach faster and people can also be provided medical facilities.

“You can imagine the remoteness of these areas where it takes a minimum of one day to reach the nearest motorable road.”

Jammu and Kashmir state, most of which is tough and difficult mountainous terrain, has 25,000 km of roads, of which 12,000 km are fair-weather roads.

In the last financial year (2009-2010), the department has constructed 5,000 km of new roads at a cost of Rs.1,500 crore.

(Binoo Joshi can be contacted at binoo.j@ians.in)