Div Com Kashmir reviews progress of Ring Road, directs expedited execution

SRINAGAR : Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Anshul Garg, on Monday chaired a review meeting to assess the progress of the Srinagar Ring Road Phases-II and II A falling in Ganderbal district and directed the concerned departments to expedite the execution of the prestigious infrastructure project.
The meeting was attended by the Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal, Jatin Kishore; Project Director, National Highways Authority (NHAI), Chief Engineers of the Roads & Buildings (R&B) and Public Health Engineering (PHE) departments, besides other senior officers.
During the meeting, the Divisional Commissioner reviewed the status of land acquisition, compensation disbursement, handover of acquired land, removal of trees falling along the project alignment, demolition of private and government structures, court-related references, utility shifting, and other issues hindering the progress of the project.
Stressing the need for accurate documentation and timely resolution of pending issues, Anshul Garg directed the concerned officers to compile comprehensive details regarding acquired land, land already handed over to the executing agency, and pending court references by Friday. He also instructed the officers to conduct a joint site inspection on Saturday to assess the ground situation and evaluate issues affecting the project’s execution.
To facilitate smooth progress, the Divisional Commissioner directed the concerned departments to expedite the process of removing trees falling within the project alignment in accordance with the prescribed procedures while considering transplantation wherever possible and ensuring compensatory afforestation in other cases.
Regarding private structures located on state land, he instructed NHAI team to follow the executing agency’s compensation norms and ensure prompt resolution of the issue. In the case of government structures, he directed that the buildings be handed over to the executing agency on an Equal Value Infrastructure (EVI) basis.
Addressing the issue related to the commissioning of the new PHE pipeline, the Divisional Commissioner directed the Chief Engineer, PHE, to facilitate its connection with the existing water supply network without disrupting essential services, thereby ensuring that the work progress on the project.
Reiterating the importance of timely completion of the Srinagar Ring Road Phase project, Anshul Garg emphasized close coordination among all stakeholder departments to remove impediments and accelerate the pace of work.