Finish pending works without further delay: Dy CM to officials

Jammu and Kashmir’s Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, who on Thursday conducted an extensive tour of Srinagar city to assess ongoing development works and projects, directed officials to complete the pending works without further delay with adherence to the quality parameters.

A statement said during the visit, the Deputy CM visited Government College of Education, sites of the proposed Barbar Shah Bridge, Old Habba Kadal Bridge and Padshahi Bagh Road.

The Deputy Chief Minister was accompanied with MLA Habba Kadal Shamim Firdous and MLA Lal Chowk Sheikh Ahsan Ahmed, along with other senior officials of departments concerned.

At the outset of the tour, the Deputy Chief Minister visited Government College of Education and Government College for Women and inspected the ongoing works there.

The Deputy CM directed the officials concerned to complete the pending works without further delay with adherence to the quality parameters. He also interacted with the students, teachers and other staff members during the visit.

Later, the Deputy CM inspected the site of the proposed Barbar Shah Bridge which has been proposed at a civil cost of Rs 15.25 crore apart from the acquisition cost. The Deputy CM was apprised that the project involves the construction of a two-lane plate girder bridge featuring a 7.5m carriageway and 1.5m footpaths on either side.

The Deputy CM reviewed the project proposal and was briefed by officials on the technical specifications and execution plan. Subsequently, he directed the R&B Division Srinagar to proceed with the detailed project report (DPR) considering all the components viz shifting of utilities, land acquisition and the technical feasibility.

The Deputy CM also visited the Habba Kadal area to assess Old Habba Kadal Bridge’s motorability while directing the R&B Division Karan Nagar to repair the damaged decking along with the direction of assessing its structural safety following the recent floods.

Later, discussions were held at Padshahi Bagh regarding the works to be executed and prioritised in the coming days.

The Deputy CM reiterated the government’s commitment towards time-bound completion of all vital infrastructure projects in Jammu and Kashmir. He directed the executing agencies concerned to resolve any existing bottlenecks, closely monitor the finishing works and ensure that these projects are dedicated to the public within the announced timeline to enhance the ease of living for the residents of Srinagar and preserve its heritage character.

J & K