J K News Today Special
Jammu, June 17:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has transformed connectivity and its speed in Jammu and Kashmir. As per his promises, the road distances are getting shortened and new vistas are opening to the people of the landlocked Valley to experience new opportunities . The rest of India, its markets and development have been assimilated with the aspirations of the people of the region that had suffered for long the disruptions in connectivity.
Qazigund-Banihal tunnel, an engineering marvel is ready for the traffic . This is a milestone in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, it will not only reduce further the distance on Jammu-Srinagar national highway , that once was close to 300 Kms , to 250 kms. Much of the distance was shortened with the commissioning of Channi- Nashari tunnel .


Connectivity is important for all regions and people, but for Jammu and Kashmir it spells multiple openings and at the same time closing of the gaps. The physical distances have long played a role in injecting the poisonous narrative in Kashmir- if the government of India cannot give the people of the Valley a round-the year connectivity , how can it claim that it treats it as the crown of the country? This was a natural taunt and tool in the hands of the vested interests who wanted to create doubts about the intensions of the country toward Kashmir .
On November 7, 2015, while the whole focus was on what Narendra Modi said in Kashmir where he rolled out Rs.80,000 crore package for the development of Jammu and Kashmir, including Ladakh , that time the state’s geography and demography included Ladakh as well. Ladakh is now a separate Union Territory following the August 5, 2019, Reorganisation of the state .But little note was taken of what he said while inaugurating phase -2 of the Baglihar Hydro-electric project. . He had laid the foundation stone of the four-laning of Udhampur-Ramban and Ramban—Baniihal stretch of Jammu Srinagar national highway . He declared that this would transform the lives of the people of J&K.
An extension of this was Banihal-Qazigund tunnel of 8.5 kms that will remove all the bottlenecks caused by vagaries of weather and landslides once and for all. That marvel is ready . this has brought hope of new era and it also serves as a pleasant reminder of how PM Modi has kept his promises made to J&K.
This tunnel and the other connectivity would enhance the people to people contact and promote tourism in Kashmir and help the Valley fruit growers and traders to reach the national markets quicker than ever before . This is going to be lifeline of Jammu and Kashmir.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock (10422662fe) India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the start of an annual luncheon for heads of state on the sidelines the general debate of the 74th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations at United Nations Headquarters in New York, New York, USA, 24 September 2019. The annual meeting of world leaders at the United Nations runs until 30 September 2019. General Debate of the 74th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, New York, USA – 24 Sep 2019