Moughal Road project despite Defence Ministry warnings
S.P.Sharma
Tribune News Service
Jammu, July 8
Eyebrows are being raised here over the decision of the Jammu and Kashmir Government to revive the 26-year-old project to rebuild the historic Moughal Road to provide a direct road link between the Kashmir valley and the terrorism-torn border districts of Rajauri and Poonch in Jammu division.
The road was built by the Mughals to reach the Kashmir valley when they were rulers.
However, what is not being relished by a section of the people is that the state government was adamant to build the road at a whopping cost of Rs 160 crore ignoring warnings of the Defence Ministry that the project was not useful from the security point of view.
Sometime ago, the Defence Ministry had made three objections to the construction of the road as it would provide additional axis to Pakistan for the furtherance of terrorist operations into the Kashmir valley in future conflict. The road would facilitate terrorists in their logistics build-up and also that an alternative road link between Jammu and the valley was under construction through the Pathankot — Bani-Basohli-Bhaderwah-Kishtwar-Sinthan Pass-Anantnag route.
Rajauri and Poonch districts are the entry points for terrorists from Pakistan. They reportedly had made their bases on the hills of these two districts and were still operating from there.
The project was abandoned keeping in view the observations of the Defence Ministry and also the fact that the road project might not be too much needed in view of the rail link that was being built between Jammu and the Kashmir valley and also the alternative national highway.
However, after becoming Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed rebuilt pressure on the Centre to provide funds for the Moughal Road and now the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, has provided a grant of Rs 38 crore out of his special reconstruction plan for the current financial year. Besides, Rs 12 crore has been earmarked for the project from the normal plan.
The project was conceived during the National Conference regime in 1979 and in 1981 the SAMPARK project of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) prepared a proposal for the construction of the road at a cost of Rs 15.78 crore. However, the cost of the project has now increased manifold now.
Even then the project did not receive a green signal from the Centre because of objections of the Defence authorities. Futile attempts were made by the state government again in 1996 to revive the project.
Historian and senior journalist, D.C. Prashant does not approve of the construction of the road on two counts. Firstly, it will provide a free movement between Rajauri and the Kashmir valley to Pakistan-trained terrorists, as the launching pads of the ISI are mostly functional on the borders of the Rajauri and Poonch districts. And secondly, he suspects the road project aimed at dividing the Hindu and Muslim population of the Jammu region.
Another section here foresees the Moughal Road project as a furtherance of the Dixon plan that does not favour linking of the areas across the Chenab with India.
With liberal grants having now been provided for the project by the Prime Minister, the ruling coalition partners, including the Mufti's PDP and the Congress, were trying to take credit for the revival of the project. They claim that the road was of economic importance for the area that will get a direct access with the valley.
A group of Congress ministers recently rushed to Rajauri and Poonch to take credit for the project. They were soon followed by Finance Minister, Muzaffar Hussain Beig, accompanied by a couple of PDP ministers, who announced that work on the project would be accelerated.
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