National Conference Member of Parliament for Anantnag-Rajouri, Mian Altaf Ahmad, met with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss the condition of road infrastructure in the border and hilly areas of Rajouri and Poonch districts.
These roads, which are vital for connecting these regions with the rest of Jammu Kashmir, are maintained by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) under Project Beacon.
In a statement, Mian Altaf Ahmad expressed concerns over the slow progress on the crucial 240-kilometer Jammu-Poonch highway, overseen by BRO, and highlighted the difficulties faced by the residents of these border districts due to the poor state of the road.
Mian Altaf also emphasized the need for urgent resurfacing and maintenance of other roads to alleviate the hardships faced by the local population.
He underscored the strategic significance of the Rajouri-Thannamandi-Bafliaz road, which is a key route connecting Srinagar to Jammu and various parts of the twin border districts with the rest of Jammu and Kashmir, but is currently in a deteriorated condition requiring immediate attention from the BRO.
He pointed out that the Nowshera-Rajouri road stretch, along with the Rajouri-Manjakot and Rajouri-Thannamandi roads, are also in poor condition and require prompt maintenance and upgrades by the relevant agencies.
The Defence Minister listened to the concerns and assured that measures would be taken to address these issues, according to the statement.