First-of-its-kind Katra-Delhi Express Road Corridor to be completed by 2023

First-of-its-kind Katra (Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir)-Delhi Express  Road corridor works have begun and it is expected to be completed by 2023.It was announced by Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (M-DoNER), Dr. Jitendra Singh. The express Corridor is expected to reduce the travel time between Katra and Delhi to around six and half hours, the total outlay of the project is Rs. 35, 000 crores.

Key Points:

i.Katra, a town in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir houses the holy shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi. 

ii.The Road Corridor will connect the holy cities of Amritsar, Punjab and Katra-Vaishno Devi, Jammu & Kashmir.

iii.The other  cities through which the corridor will pass include Jammu and Kathua in Jammu & Kashmir, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Kapurthala & Ludhiana in Punjab. 

iv.The Express Corridor is being built under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, which is a centrally-sponsored and funded Road & Highways project of the Government of India.

v.The Express Corridor is expected to help in the growth of industries and investments in the region and  to lessen the burden on the Grand Trunk Road.

vi.The National Highway between Pathankot and Jammu is  set to be upgraded  from 4-lane to  6-lane.

Background:

The project has been pursued since 2015 by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh who is also a Member of Parliament(Lok Sabha) representing the region of Katra-Vaishno Devi in the Parliament.

Bharatmala Pariyojana:

i.It is centrally-sponsored and funded by Road and Highways projects of the Government of India.

ii.It will help in improving connectivity in economic corridors, border areas and far flung areas with an aim of quicker movement of cargo and boosting exports.

Recent Related News:

i.On June 12, 2020, The Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has prepared a J&K Poultry Policy, 2020/Operational Guidelines to boost poultry production in the region.

ii.On July 9, 2020, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated six strategic bridges in the border areas close to the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) through video conferencing, from New Delhi. These were built in a record time by the Project Sampark of Border Road Organisation (BRO).

About Jammu & Kashmir
Capital – Jammu (winter) and Srinagar (summer)
National Parks in Jammu & Kashmir – Dachigam National Park, Hemis National Park, Kishtwar National Park, Salim Ali National Park.

About Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (M-DoNER)
Minister of State (Independent Charge) – Dr. Jitendra Singh