Parliament Question: Status of key roads, tunnels and highways in Jammu and Kashmir

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 3768 ANSWERED ON - 25/03/2026 STATUS OF KEY ROADS, TUNNELS AND HIGHWAYS IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR

3768. SHRI SAJJAD AHMAD KICHLOO:

Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS be pleased to state:-

(a) the present status, DPR, tendring, land acquisition, environment and security clearances, funds sanctioned and released, work awarded and timeline fixed for each project with reference to the Sudhmahdev-Chennai Tunnel, Singhpora-Vailoo Tunnel, Peerki-Gali Tunnel, Chanjer-Bonda tunnel, Chaidraman-Warwan Tunnel, Padder- Zanskar Road and Doda-Dessa-Kapran road projects; and

(b) the reasons for delay in widening the Batote-Doda-Kishtwar National Highway, including issues of land acquisition, slope stabilization, retaining walls, contractor performance and weather constraints and the corrective measures taken along with revised completion schedules? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

(a) Sudhmahadev - Dranga and Singhpora - Vailoo tunnels fall under National Highway (NH) 244. The Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for these tunnels have been completed by National Highways Infrastructure Development Company Limited (NHIDCL). The Sudhmahadev-Daranga tunnel including approaches is having a length of 12.85 km and Singhpora- Vailoo tunnel including approaches is having a length of 38.61 km. The projects for construction of these tunnels are at appraisal stage.

The Peer-Ki-Gali falls on Shopia-Bafliaz section of NH-701A. The DPR for tunnel on Peer-Ki-Gali has been taken up through Jammu & Kashmir PWD. At present, alignment is being finalized. Upon completion of DPR, the tunnel work shall be taken up for consideration in next year’s Annual Plan i.e.

2026-27.

As regards, Chanjer-Bonda tunnel, Chaidraman-Warwan Tunnel, Padder-Zanskar Road and Doda- Dessa-Kapran road projects, these are not National Highways. Government in Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is responsible for development, operation and maintenance of National Highways and National Expressways in the country.

(b) The road stretch of Batote-Doda-Kishtwar is divided into following two stretches:

The Batote-Khellani section of NH-244 is of 2-lane standards. However, due to deficient alignment having steep curves, this stretch is to be bypassed through development of Chenani-Sudhmahadev- Goha-Khellani greenfield alignment. Out of total length of 38 km from Chenani to Khellani (excludingSudhmadev -Dranga tunnel portion) the 2-lane has been completed in 34 km and 2 laning is in progress in remaining 4 km, which is scheduled to be completed by October, 2026.

The Khellani-Doda-Kishtwar section of NH-244 (112.66 km) is being developed to 2 lane with paved shoulders configuration in 9 civil work contract packages, of which, 47.38 km length has been completed and remaining length is in progress. Package-wise details are given at Annexure.ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3768 ANSWERED ON 25/03/2026 ASKED BY SHRI SAJJAD AHMAD KICHLOO REGARDING ‘STATUS OF KEY ROADS, TUNNELS AND HIGHWAYS IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR’ S. Project Name Length Physical Likely Reason for No. (KM) Progress Completion Delay date 1 Widening and Up-gradation to 2-Lane with 15.52 94.06% PCC issued (i) Non- Paved Shoulder of configuration and handing over geometric improvement from Km 0.000 to Km of hinderance

16.990 on Chenani – Sudhmahadev section of free land.

NH-244 in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir to (ii) Covid-19 be executed on EPC basis Pandemic.

(iii) Additional work of COS

(iv) Incessant rainfall and snowfall

(v) Slow progress of the contractor 2 Up-gradation to Two Lane with Paved 9.46 94% 30.04.2026 (i) Non- Shoulder from Km 12+850 to Km 20+300 of handing over

7.450 Km length of Goha-Khellani of hinderance

Section and a link road to Goha Village of free land.

2.016 Km on NH-244 in Union Territory of (ii) Covid-19 Jammu and Kashmir on EPC Mode. (Pkg- I) Pandemic.

(iii) Terrorist attacks and suspension of night shifts

(iv) Incessant rainfall and snowfall

(v) Slow progress of the contractor3 Up-gradation to Two Lane with Paved 8.73 97% 31.03.2026 (i) Non- Shoulder from Km 20+300 to Km 29+030 of handing over

8.730 Km length of Goha-Khellani Section on of hinderance NH-244 in Union Territory of Jammu and free land.

Kashmir on EPC Mode (Pkg-II) (ii) Covid-19 Pandemic.

(iii) Terrorist attacks and suspension of night shifts

(iv) Incessant rainfall and snowfall

(v) Slow progress of the contractor 4 Construction of Uni-Directional Khellani 2.49 100% Completed (i) Covid-19 Tunnel of length 1.574 Km & its approach (CC issued) on Pandemic.

Road from Km 29.030 to Km 31.449 of total 17.03.2025 (ii) Landslide length of 2.419 Km on NH-244 in Union and poor Territory of Jammu & Kashmir on EPC Mode. geology (Pkg-III) (iii) Utility shifting

(iv) Additional time for RE wall and terrorist attacks 5 Construction & Upgradation to 2 lane with 20.25 Work Completed (i) Non- paved shoulder from Design Km. 31.449 completed on handing over

(Khellani) (Ex. Km 44.946) to Km 51.700 and CC 02.10.2024 of RoW (Prem Nagar) (Ex. Km 68+617) of 20.251 Km issued, except (ii) Landslide length on Khellani - Kishtwar - Chattroo de-link and rainfall

section of NH-244 in the UT of J&K on EPC portion of (iii) Covid-19 Mode under NH(O)-Gen (PKG- 1) 1440m Pandemic6 Construction & Upgradation to 2-lane with 14.84 53.33% 31.12.2026 (i) Non- paved shoulder from Design Ch. Km 51+700 handing over (at Premnagar km 66+315) to Km 66+535 of hinderance New Thatri (at Start of Km 83rd, Tunnel Km free land.

82+665) of 14.835 Km design length on (ii) Covid-19 Chenani-Sudhmahadev-Goha Khellani- Pandemic.

Kishtwar-Vailoo Donipawa-Ashajipora section (iii) Incessant of NH-244 in the UT of J&K on EPC Mode rainfall and under NH(O)-Gen (Pkg - 2) snowfall

(iv) Slow progress of the contractor 7 Construction & Upgradation to 2-lane with 9.12 99% Physically (i) Non- paved shoulder from Design Km 67.805 (at the completed handing over end of Km 83rd Tunnel near Dhrabshalla) (Ex. of hinderance Km 83+905) to Km 80.675 (start of Kishtwar free land.

Bypass - Dulhasti) (Ex. Km 97+0751) of (ii) Covid-19

12.870 Km length on chenani-Sudhmahadev- Pandemic Goha Khellani-Kishtwar-vailoo-Donipawa- (iii) Flash Ashajipora seition of NH-244 in the UT of Flood, J&K on EPC Mode under NH(O)-Gen (Pkg-3) incessant rainfall and snowfall

(iv) Heavy landslide

(v) Local hindrances

(vi) Slow progress of the contractor 8 Construction of Kishtwar bypass with 2 lane 16.75 49.96% 30.06.2027 (i) Non- with paved shoulder from Design Km. 80.675 handing over

(Dulhasti) to km 95.550 (Bandarkoot ) of of hinderance

14.88 km & a link road to Kishtwar town from free land.

0+000 to 1.871 of length=1.871 Km on (ii) Covid-19 Khellani - Kishtwar - Chattroo section in UT Pandemic. of Jammu and Kashmir on EPC Mode (Pkg-4) (iii) Flash Flood, incessant rainfall and snowfall

(iv) Strike of truck driversand farmers

(v) Closure of NH-44

(vi) Slow progress of the contractor 9 Construction/upgradation to 2-lane with paved 15.50 97.93% 31.03.2026 (i) Non- shoulder from Design Km 95.55 (Bandarkoot) handing over to Km. 111.06 (Chattroo) of 15.52 Km length of hinderance on Khellani-Kishtwar-Chattroo section on NH- free land.

244 in UT of Jammu and Kashmir on EPC (ii) Covid-19 Mode (Pkg-5) Pandemic.

(iii) Flash Flood, incessant rainfall and snowfall

(iv) Strike of truck drivers and farmers

(v) Local hinderances

(vi) Closure of NH-44 *****