Srinagar, Dec 11: The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has set a target of constructing 158 km of National Highway projects in Jammu and Kashmir and 11 km in Ladakh during the financial year 2025–26, as part of its nationwide plan to construct 10,000 km of NH works.
The Ministry informed the Lok Sabha that, J&K and Ladakh together account for 169 km of the upcoming NH award targets for the ongoing financial year. This forms part of a broader push to accelerate highway development across the country.
Responding to concerns about a drop in NH project awards in recent years, the Ministry said awards have declined from 12,376 km in 2022–23 to 8,581 km in 2023–24 and 7,538 km in 2024–25.
Officials attributed the slowdown to strict enforcement of rules such as ensuring 90 percent land availability, completing forest and wildlife clearances, and finalizing General Arrangement Drawings (GADs) before awarding projects. (KNO)
