Jammu: Meant for their exclusive use,
the Army has built a strategic and an alternative road along
the Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kashmir, test trials for
which have been conducted successfully.
"Army has built a strategic and an alternative road
along border connecting Gurez (North Kashmir) with Drass area
(Ladakh region). It has successfully conducted trials on the
road stretch," Minister for Transport Qamar Ali Akhoon said to a news agency.
The work was completed by end of last year and trials
of plying defence vehicles were successful, Akhoon said,
adding "it is exclusive for the movement of Army".
The Border Road Organisation (BRO) has been
constructing the 120-km alternative and strategic road from
Drass to Bandipore district in North Kashmir.
While 67 kilometers of road length has been
constructed, work is on for metalling of the rest, officials
said, adding that it was likely to be thrown open for public
in a year`s time.
The mountain-locked Ladakh region will now have
another road link to Kashmir apart from Srinagar-Leh highway
via the 11300-feet high Zojila Pass, which remains blocked for
almost six to seven months of winter period, they said.
"It will strengthen the forward areas in Drass-Gurez
sectors, which saw Kargil intrusion and infiltrations of
militants from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK)," they added.
Jammu and Kashmir Forest Minister Mian Altaf and MLA
Gurez, Nazir Gurezi, became the first civilians to travel on
the alternative road, last year.
They covered the distance of 65-kilometers from Drass
to Tulail Valley in three hours and it took two more hours for
them to reach Gurez from Tulail, the officials said.
PTI
