Uproar in House over delay in Chenani tunnel inauguration

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 18

As the government has failed to throw open the Chenani-Nashri tunnel for traffic despite completion of work, opposition members led by Congress MLA GM Saroori today raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly and demanded opening of the tunnel.

The House witnessed an uproar over the issue as the traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar and the Batote-Kishtwar national highways has been stopped for the past three days due to heavy snowfall and people, especially patients, have been bearing hardships.

The 9.2-km-long Chenani-Nashri road tunnel has missed several deadlines and people of the state have been eagerly awaiting its opening as it will reduce the length of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway by 31 km.

The hilly portion of the Patnitop area will be bypassed by the tunnel and it will ease traffic rush on the highway. At present, the national highway on both sides of Patnitop is covered with snow and the slippery road conditions have made the traffic movement difficult.

All tunnel works are almost complete but the National Highways Authority of India hasn’t yet decided about its inauguration.

As soon as the House proceedings started this morning, MLA Saroori raised the issue and said: “Both Jammu-Srinagar and Batote-Kishtwar national highways are closed at various places due to landslides and several passengers are trapped on the highways at various places. The opening of the tunnel will facilitate the smooth functioning of the traffic and the commuters will not face any inconvenience.”

Saroori said the tunnel was ready for traffic movement. “The government is only delaying the opening of the tunnel as it is waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nod for its inauguration,” he alleged.

“Why are you hoodwinking the people for the sake of inauguration of the tunnel. When will your PM get time? It doesn’t mean that people will be left to suffer if the PM doesn’t get time for inauguration,” Saroori said.

At this, Speaker Kavinder Gupta intervened and clarified that the PM belonged to all, including Saroori.

Saroori found support in NC MLA Ali Mohammad Sagar, PDF MLA Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen and BJP MLA Shakti Raj Parihar.

Parihar demanded that the government should take up the matter with the quarters concerned for throwing the Chenani-Nashri tunnel open for traffic.

Replying to the demands, Minister for Public Works Department and Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Rehman Veeri assured the members that he would look into the issue and accordingly brief the House about the possibility of throwing open the Chenani-Nashri tunnel for traffic.

Due to the closure of the highway, the Doda Chief Medical Officer has written to the Deputy Commissioners of Ramban and Udhampur districts to allow ambulances from Doda to use the Chenani-Nashri tunnel to ferry patients to Jammu.