Srinagar, Aug 22 (KNS): The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has disclosed that Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh have together received nearly ?28,000 crore for national highway construction and upgradation over the past four years, underscoring the Centre’s continued focus on improving connectivity in the Himalayan belt.

According to Kashmir News Service (KNS), J&K accounted for the lion’s share of this investment, with 43 projects cleared between 2021-22 and 2024-25. Together, these projects span 653 kilometers of road length at a cumulative cost exceeding ?27,800 crore.

In J&K, the financial year 2021-22 recorded the highest approvals, with 15 projects covering 197 km sanctioned at an outlay of ?14,235 crore. The following year, 15 additional projects were cleared, adding 248 km of new highway length at a cost of ?9,538 crore.

The momentum dipped slightly in 2023-24, when 8 projects covering 179 km were sanctioned for ?2,774 crore. In the current fiscal (2024-25), up to August, five more projects have been approved, adding 29 km with an investment of ?1,262 crore.

Officials said the planned expansion is being synchronised with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP) to ensure integrated and prioritized infrastructure growth across the Union Territory.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

Ladakh, by contrast, has seen a more modest rollout due to its rugged terrain, limited working season, and ecological sensitivities. In the last four years, only two projects have been sanctioned in the UT. The first, approved in 2021-22, involved 27 km of highway at a cost of ?426 crore. After no clearances in 2022-23 and 2023-24, another project was sanctioned in the current fiscal, adding 11 km at an allocation of ?29 crore.

Though relatively fewer in number, these projects in Ladakh carry strategic weight, with improved highways expected to strengthen both civilian mobility and defense logistics, while also providing better access to remote habitations.

The Ministry underlined that highway development is a “continuous process”, with proposals examined on the basis of traffic density, road condition, connectivity requirements, and national strategic priorities. Pending projects for both J&K and Ladakh are under review in coordination with the Gati Shakti framework, officials said.(KNS)