Srinagar, June 9 (IANS) Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday that the laying of the Zojila Tunnel has not only been a dream for the people of J&K and Ladakh, but also for him personally, as he revealed that against the estimated cost of Rs 12,000 crore, the tunnel would be completed at an outlay of only Rs 7,000 crore.

Addressing the function during the breakthrough operation of the Zojila Tunnel, the minister said: “It is going to be a state-of-the-art tunnel as it has been built on world-class safety standards.

“I am happy that it is a lifeline for Ladakh and J&K. It is situated at around 3,000 metres above the sea level, and the temperature often drops to minus 4 (degrees Celsius) even as our workers and engineers continued to work on the tunnel,” he added.

Gadkari also expressed his happiness at the fact that 80 per cent of the staff engaged in the construction of the tunnel belong to this region.

“When I came to Ladakh during the time I was the BJP President, I was told by the people here that this region remains virtually closed for six months. I realised at that time that the people here suffered heavily because of the connectivity issue. I realised then that the tunnel must be made. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, I was given the charge of this department, and I decided that the tunnel must be made,” he recalled.

He also stressed the “big contribution” of the MDs of a private construction company and of the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) in making the tunnel possible.

The minister also revealed that the tendering process for the Zojila Tunnel was made four times, but it did not get through.

“I signed the tender allotment on the fifth time for 12,000 crore, and I am happy to tell you that we will be completing all works of the tunnel by spending only Rs 7,000 crore and thereby make a saving of Rs 5,000 crore.”

The Union Minister announced several new projects for the Ladakh region, including the Rs 1000 crore Leh bypass. He said that within six months the work on the bypass would start and vehicles coming from Manali and Srinagar would not have to enter Leh town.

He also announced two more tunnels and road projects in the Ladakh region.

Gadkari also announced the four-laning of the Srinagar-Sonmarg road at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore. He also announced some other road projects in J&K, like the Katra-Srinagar, Kishtwar-Anantnag, Jammu-Akhnoor corridor, etc.

J&K L-G Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah accompanied Gadkari during the inspection and the breakthrough process of the tunnel.

–IANS

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