In a recent post on X, PDP leader and MLA Pulwama Waheed ur Rahman Para strongly criticised the government, particularly the R&B department over severe delays in the macadamisation of the roads. The concerned MLA highlighted that despite the allocation of thousands of crores to the department, the ground reality remains alarming. He expressed deep concern that half of the working season has already passed yet not a single road has been taken up for macadamisation or blacktopping.

The government has invested over ₹61,528 crore in major highways, tunnels, and railway projects to accelerate development and seamlessly connect Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country. Landmark achievements such as the 13.153 km Zojila Tunnel, which is Asia’s longest tunnel and makes the Srinagar-Leh Highway an all-weather road, along with new tunnels on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and the Srinagar Ring Road, stand as the testaments to this macro-level progress. However, despite these major milestones, the ground reality of several interior, inter-city, and link roads remains grim. These vital connectivity lifelines are in a dilapidated condition, with the macadamisation process completely stalled. The primary reason for this delay is a standoff with contractors and hot-mix plant owners, who are reluctant to work at existing rates. They are demanding the clearance of long-pending unpaid liabilities and a revision of rates to offset the steep increase in material, fuel, and........

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