Kathua (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], August 29 : Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving the highest priority to the Udhampur-Kathua-Doda Parliamentary constituency over the last 12 years, resulting in sustained expansion of road connectivity across some of the most remote and difficult hilly areas of the region.
He said that Udhampur has consistently figured among the country's top three districts in terms of PMGSY road projects, reflecting the continued priority accorded to rural connectivity in the constituency.
According to a press release, Singh was speaking after laying the foundation stone of 110 road projects under PMGSY-IV, Batch-I of 2026-27, covering different parts of the Udhampur-Kathua-Doda-Kishtwar region.
As per the project statement, the 110 roads together cover 598.455 km and carry a sanctioned cost of Rs 503.53 crore. The projects are spread across Kathua, Udhampur, Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar districts and are expected to benefit 46,972 people.
The Union Minister said that the scale of the latest PMGSY intervention demonstrates the continued commitment of the Government to taking all-weather road connectivity to the last mile and to villages and habitations located in difficult and remote hilly terrain. He said that the new roads would further transform rural mobility and contribute significantly to ease of living and ease of travel for people living in far-flung areas.
Singh said that the sustained expansion of PMGSY road connectivity is changing the landscape of rural mobility in the hilly areas, taking all-weather connectivity to villages and habitations that were earlier difficult to access.
He said that the road network being created under PMGSY is directly contributing to ease of living and ease of travel, while opening up new opportunities for people living in the remotest parts of the constituency, the release said.
The Minister said that senior citizens and school-going children were among those who faced the greatest difficulties earlier, particularly during the rainy season when poor road conditions often made travel difficult and, at times, prevented people from reaching their workplaces, schools and other essential destinations.
The expansion of the road network is now helping remove this long-standing difficulty and bringing essential services and opportunities closer to rural communities.
Singh said that women in the remotest villages are also experiencing the benefits of the new road connectivity, as better roads provide easier access to schools, healthcare, markets, workplaces and other essential facilities. The expansion of the road network into previously difficult-to-reach villages, he said, is creating a new mobility network for women and families living in the hilly terrain, with direct benefits for their everyday lives, the release said.
The Minister said that connectivity in these difficult hilly areas also carries an important security dimension. Some of the remote and challenging terrains have in the past posed difficulties from the security perspective and have also been vulnerable to movement by militants and terrorists.
Improved road connectivity will facilitate easier and faster movement of security forces into such areas and strengthen the implementation of anti-militancy and counter-terror operations, while simultaneously bringing development closer to the people living there.
Giving the district-wise breakup of the projects, Singh said that Kathua accounts for 24 road projects covering 128.925 km, with a sanctioned cost of approximately ₹307.12 crore. Udhampur accounts for 44 projects covering 235.040 km, with a sanctioned cost of approximately ₹554.90 crore.
Ramban has 13 projects covering 60.360 km, with a sanctioned cost of approximately ₹154.97 crore, while Doda accounts for 13 projects covering 90.180 km, with a sanctioned cost of approximately ₹260.66 crore. Kishtwar has 16 projects covering 83.950 km, with a sanctioned cost of approximately ₹224.88 crore.
A notable feature of the projects is the incorporation of waste plastics in road construction in a large number of the works. The project statement specifically records the use of waste plastics across several road packages, combining the objective of strengthening rural connectivity with more sustainable road construction practices.
Singh said that the sustained expansion of PMGSY road connectivity in the constituency reflects the Government's continued focus on ensuring that the benefits of development reach the last mile and the remotest habitation. He said that the latest package of projects would further strengthen the road network across the Parliamentary constituency and adjoining hilly areas, the release said.
In May this year, he had also thanked Prime Minister Modi for allocating the Udhampur-Kathua-Doda constituency around 43 per cent of the total PMGSY allocation for Jammu & Kashmir, with ₹1,524 crore earmarked against the Union Territory's ₹3,566 crore allocation.
He said that the sustained focus on rural roads has become particularly meaningful in a constituency where a large number of villages are located across steep, remote and geographically difficult terrain. Better roads are not only reducing travel time and difficulties but are also strengthening access to education, healthcare, markets, employment and other essential services.
The Minister said that the transformation in connectivity over the past decade has demonstrated how infrastructure can become an instrument of social and economic empowerment, particularly for communities living in far-flung areas. With every new road reaching another remote habitation, the distance between these communities and the mainstream of development is being reduced.
Singh said that the Government's focus would continue to be on strengthening last-mile connectivity, ensuring that difficult geography does not become a barrier to development, mobility or access to opportunities. He said that the expanding PMGSY network would continue to serve both the developmental needs of the people and the strategic requirements of the region.
J&K Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, in his address, said that Jammu & Kashmir is firmly on the path of development and expressed satisfaction at contributing to the ongoing transformation. He said that the concerns and issues raised by the people would be addressed sufficiently and assured that the Government of J&K remains committed to ensuring that development reaches every part of the Union Territory, the release said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that the contractors engaged in the execution of the road projects are required to perform their work as per prescribed standards and made it clear that there would be no compromise on the quality of construction. He said that the bidding and tendering processes are being undertaken in accordance with high standards and that strict action would be taken against any shortcomings in the execution of works.
Among the MLAs present on the occasion were Pawan Kumar Gupta, Balwant Singh Mankotia, Rajiv Jasrotia, Sajad Shaheen, Sunil Bharadwaj, Arjun Singh Raju, Pyare Lal Sharma, Ranbir Singh Pathania, Darshan Kumar and Satish Kumar Sharma. MLA Shakti Parihar joined the event virtually, while LoP Sunil Sharma addressed the audience through a video message sent by him.
The legislators raised various issues and concerns relating to their respective areas, particularly those concerning forest clearances and defaults by contractors, the release said.
Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary assured the legislators that the issues and concerns raised by them would be taken up for swift redressal and that necessary steps would be taken to expedite development works and improve connectivity in the concerned areas.