KARGIL, FEBRUARY 25, 2021: In order to take stock of the preparations for the opening of the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway for traffic besides to inspect the ongoing works on the construction of Zojila Tunnel, Deputy Commissioner and CEO, LAHDC, Kargil Santosh Sukhdeve visited Spangla Top near Zojila Pass here today.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kargil Iftikhar Talib Choudhary, Assistant Commissioner Revenue (ACR), Kargil Shabir Hussain, Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Drass Asgar Ali, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Kargil Dr Munawar Hussain Wazir, SHO Drass Manzoor Ahmad besides other concerned officers accompanied the DC during the tour.

The DC visited the Zojila Tunnel Construction site at Meenamarg where the Manager Project NHIDCL Gurpreet Singh briefed him about the progress of the ongoing tunnel construction works.

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DC Santosh directed the concerned officials of NHIDCL to keep snow clearance machinery in readiness to supplement road clearance operations in case of need.

The officials of NHIDCL and Mega Infrastructures &Engineering Limited assured the DC to provide the necessary logistics in smooth operation of traffic on the Zojila pass.

The DC informed that as per the decision of the higher authorities, subject to fair weather conditions, the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National highway will be thrown open for vehicular traffic on 28th February, 2021.

Meanwhile, the DC also visited the site identified for establishment of COVID-19 screening point at Meenamarg Check Post and took stock of the necessary arrangements regarding the safe passage of passengers from the post to enter in Ladakh.

DC Santosh directed the CMO, Kargil to ensure installation of required machinery, necessary logistics besides also making sure the availability of required health personnel at the screening point. He also directed the concerned officers to establish a quarantine centre as well at Meenamarg Check Post.

Meanwhile, the DC also met various public delegations at Dak Bungalow Drass where the representatives of Teachers’ Forum, contractors, unemployed youth and other representatives projected their grievances and issues.

The main demands projected by the delegations included release of pending allowances of teachers, providing employment opportunities to the youths of Drass in Zojila tunnel construction works and restoration of work for porters, which has been affected by COVID-19 pandemic.

DC Santosh gave a patient hearing to all grievances and assured of suitable follow up for redressal of all genuine issues in a phased manner.

Later, the DC also visited the Kargil War Memorial Drass and paid tributes to the martyrs of the 1999 Kargil war.