Jammu Kashmir Gets Rs 27,800 Crore Highway Boost in Four Years

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has emerged among the key beneficiaries of the Centre’s national highway push, with more than Rs 27,800 crore worth of road projects sanctioned in the Union Territory over the last four years. Official figures presented in the Lok Sabha on Thursday show that 43 projects covering over 650 kilometres have been cleared since 2021-22, reflecting the government’s focus on upgrading critical transport links in the region.

According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, 15 projects spanning 197 kilometres were approved in 2021-22 for Rs 14,235 crore. The following year, another 15 projects covering 248 kilometres were sanctioned with an outlay of Rs 9,538 crore. In 2023-24, the approvals dropped to 8 projects stretching 179 kilometres with Rs 2,774 crore allocated. So far in the current financial year, 5 projects covering 29 kilometres have been cleared, with Rs 1,262 crore earmarked.

The ministry clarified that highway development is a continuous process, taken up based on traffic density, connectivity requirements, road conditions and alignment with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan. While it did not share state-specific details of pending or rejected proposals, the government stressed that projects are sanctioned according to priority and funding availability.