The Hindu : Mughal road still a distant dream

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 31, 2003

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Mughal road still a distant dream

By Our Staff Reporter

JAMMU MARCH 30. In spite of the promises of successive State Governments to expedite work on the historic Mughal road — an alternative road to the Kashmir Valley — passing through the border districts of Jammu region, work is progressing slowly and the road continues to remain a distant dream.

It was the road frequented by the Mughals and, hence, it has been named after them. It was on this road, at Chengus, that the Mughal Emperor, Jehangir, died. And, it was the only motorable link with the rest of the country in the pre-1947 era. The project when completed will help decrease the load on National Highway 1A, the only route to the Kashmir Passes.

Promising to take up the matter with a sense of urgency, the Minister for Works, Madan Lal Sharma, said: "The Mughal road will be given priority and the State Government will do everything to complete the project". Since the original Mughal road passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a new road had to be laid, cutting through the Pir Panjal hills which separates the Jammu region from Kashmir. The new road is 89-km-long and passes through various heights. Security considerations are also an obstacle as the area falls in the "highway route" of the militants coming from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

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Mughal road still a distant dream