BRO DG calls on J-K chief secretary, assures early restoration of vital motorable roads

Jammu, Sep 4 (PTI) Director General of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Lieutenant General Raghu Srinivasan, on Thursday called on Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo here and assured full readiness to restore vital motorable links at the earliest to facilitate smooth movement of essential supplies and traffic.

During the meeting, DGBR Lt Gen Srinivasan apprised the chief secretary of the measures being undertaken by the BRO to restore inter-divisional connectivity across J-K, particularly in the aftermath of the recent flood-like situation, an official spokesperson said.

He informed that men and machinery have been mobilised on a war footing to ensure early restoration of road services across the Union Territory.

The DGBR also shared an updated status of various key road stretches under restoration and briefed about the anticipated timelines for reopening the arterial roads of J-K.

Reiterating the commitment of the BRO, Lt Gen Srinivasan assured that all efforts were being made to make these vital links motorable at the earliest possible time.

The chief secretary, while interacting with the DGBR, emphasised the crucial role of road connectivity for sustenance in the mountainous region of J-K. He said that apart from being vital for the transport of essential commodities, these roads also carry immense strategic importance.

Underscoring the urgency of the task, Dulloo called for doubling efforts to ensure early completion of restoration works. He noted that in a hilly region like J-K, roads are the lifelines for its inhabitants and appreciated the dedicated efforts of the BRO in maintaining and restoring crucial stretches despite formidable challenges.

The chief secretary expressed confidence that the BRO would once again live up to public expectations by restoring vital connectivity in record time and assured the organisation of full cooperation and support from the civil administration.

Later, Lt Gen Srinivasan inspected roads affected by the recent unprecedented rains in the region.

"He visited the two strategically important roads of Ramkot–Ranjit Sagar Dam and Basholi–Bani Road. Both these roads have suffered extensive damage," the PRO Defence said.

At Pedu Nala, where two bridges were displaced owing to heavy landslides, he oversaw the construction of diversions to restore traffic. He also visited Bhoond on the Bani–Basholi road, where a significant portion was completely washed away in the deluge, leaving a gap in the alignment.

He inspected the formation-cutting work being undertaken to construct a new access route to restore road communication.

The DGBR complimented the personnel of Project Sampark for their efforts and exhorted them to continue their dedicated work in the coming days. PTI AB KSS KSS