JK Govt Identifies Land for Industrial Estates in Kashmir & Jammu

Jammu, Mar 12 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir government has identified 625 acres of land to set up industrial estates in different districts of the Kashmir division while a proposal for 1,207 acres of land has been submitted to the revenue department for similar projects in Jammu.

Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary informed the Legislative Assembly while responding to a question from BJP's Rajiv Jasrotia.

He said that around 625 kanal of land has been identified for industrial estates in Kashmir, while proposals for 1,207 have been submitted for Jammu.

He further informed that a total of 1,869 acres of land has been proposed for industrial estates across Jammu, and in the past two years, 691 acres have been transferred for the same purpose in Kashmir.

The government has granted 36 limestone mining leases, 24 gypsum mining leases, and 202 e-auctioned minor mineral blocks, he said.

As many as 8 mining leases have been reserved for J&K public sector undertakings, 6 on private land, 2 quarry licenses on private land, 1 cluster quarry on state land, and 23 quarry licenses for government projects, he added.

"These measures aim to ensure the supply of key construction materials for various developmental projects across J&K," he said.

The deputy chief minister informed the Legislative Assembly that the Rs 41.78 crore Maitra-Ramban bridge over the Chenab River will be completed by August 2026.

Responding to a query by National Conference leader Arjun Singh Raju, he said the project faced delays as the National Highway Authority of India did not allow its intersection with the Ramban flyover. The bridge is now being aligned with the old NH, raising its height by 8.5 meters and extending its span by 30 meters to 300 meters, he added.

The foundation work is complete, with gantry installation and casting in progress on the Maitra side. On the Ramban side, pier headwork and deck slab casting have begun. So far, Rs 21.10 crore has been released to the contractor, he added.

Choudhary said BRO has proposed upgrading the Dhar-Udhampur road from two to four lanes. The matter has been submitted to Northern Command for approval.

Replying to a question by Satish Kumar Sharma, he said work will begin once the competent authority grants approval. Legislators Balwant Singh Mankotia, Rajiv Jasrotia, and Pawan Gupta also raised supplementary questions.