JAMMU, Sept. 30
The Jammu divisional administration has directed district authorities and executing agencies to accelerate work on National Highway projects across the region, with unresolved land transfers, compensation payments and other procedural issues identified among the obstacles affecting construction.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar reviewed the projects on Wednesday, examining individual packages of the Jammu-Poonch, Jammu-Doda and Jammu-Kishtwar highways along with other ongoing road works across the division.
Deputy Commissioners provided district-wise updates, while representatives of the Border Roads Organisation’s Project Sampark, the National Highways Authority of India and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation briefed the administration on construction progress and completion schedules.
The review focused particularly on administrative issues that can delay highway construction even after projects have entered the execution stage.
These included land transfers, mutation of land records, payment of compensation, finalisation of awards and other procedural matters requiring action by district authorities.
Kumar directed Deputy Commissioners to take up outstanding cases on priority and ensure they are disposed of quickly.
The administration did not disclose the number of pending land or compensation cases, the current completion percentage of individual highway packages or revised completion dates for projects under review.
Executing agencies, however, presented the physical progress of their respective packages and the timelines currently fixed for completion.
Kumar asked district administrations to take a more active role in identifying and removing bottlenecks rather than waiting for unresolved issues to affect construction schedules.
He directed officials to hold regular follow-up meetings with the agencies carrying out the work and resolve pending matters without delay.
The executing agencies were separately instructed to adhere to project timelines and deploy adequate manpower and machinery at construction sites.
Kumar also emphasised coordination between project agencies and district administrations, particularly where construction depends on administrative clearances, availability of land or resolution of local issues.
Quality standards should not be compromised in the effort to accelerate construction, he said.
The review covered some of the most important road corridors in the Jammu region.
The Jammu-Poonch highway serves the western part of the division, while the Jammu-Doda and Jammu-Kishtwar routes provide crucial connectivity towards the Chenab Valley.
Their construction and improvement involve multiple packages handled by different agencies, making coordination between engineering organisations and civil administrations an important part of project execution.
The government described the highways under review as strategic projects, adding another dimension to the need for timely completion.
Road infrastructure in the Jammu region serves both civilian and strategic requirements. Several routes pass through mountainous districts where difficult terrain, weather and land-related issues can complicate construction.
The Wednesday meeting, however, concentrated on administrative and execution-related impediments rather than geographical difficulties.
Land-related procedures featured prominently.
Highway projects frequently require coordination between revenue authorities and executing agencies before construction can proceed across particular stretches. Delays in land transfer, mutation or compensation can hold up work even when contractors and equipment are otherwise available.
By asking Deputy Commissioners to prioritise such cases, the divisional administration is seeking to address issues that fall within the authority of district governments while requiring executing agencies to maintain progress on sections already available for construction.
Kumar also sought regular monitoring rather than relying solely on periodic high-level reviews.
District administrations were asked to remain in contact with project agencies and intervene when procedural or coordination issues threatened schedules.
The meeting brought together officials from agencies responsible for highways, power, public works and rural roads, reflecting the range of departments whose infrastructure can intersect with major road construction.
Those attending included the Managing Director of Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited, Deputy Commissioners from districts across Jammu Division, the Director of Geology and Mining, the NHAI Regional Officer in Jammu and senior engineers from Project Beacon and Sampark.
Officials from the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Public Works Department’s Jammu and Chenab Valley zones and NHIDCL were also present, along with NHAI project directors from Udhampur, Jammu and Ramban.
The presence of multiple engineering and administrative agencies reflects the coordination required for highway development across the division, particularly where projects cross district boundaries or interact with other public infrastructure.
No new highway project or additional funding was announced at Wednesday’s meeting. The emphasis was instead on accelerating schemes already under execution and resolving issues holding up individual packages.
The absence of project-specific progress figures also means the review does not establish how close the Jammu-Poonch, Jammu-Doda or Jammu-Kishtwar projects are to completion.
What it does establish is the administration’s immediate focus: clear outstanding land and compensation matters, maintain sufficient construction resources and hold executing agencies to their existing schedules.
Kumar directed both sides of the implementation process to work in parallel. District administrations are expected to remove procedural obstacles, while BRO, NHAI, NHIDCL and other agencies have been asked to maintain manpower, machinery and construction quality.
The effectiveness of that coordination will determine whether the outstanding highway packages can meet the completion timelines currently set for them.
