Apr 02, 2017: Forty years of bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir has not benefitted anyone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said and exhorted the youth in Kashmir valley to choose tourism over terrorism to ensure the state’s development and well-being.
Addressing a public meeting after dedicating India’s longest road tunnel that links Kashmir Valley with Jammu, Mr. Modi reminded the stone-pelters of the valley that stones can be used for better purposes — building infrastructure.
The Prime Minister also hit out at Pakistan for eyeing Kashmir and said, they can’t even take care of themselves. He said his government is committed to ensure fast-paced development of Jammu and Kashmir, which would show the people living under occupation in the other parts of the state how they are being destroyed.
Earlier Prime Minister Modi dedicated the Chenani-Nashri Tunnel to the nation. The all-weather route reduces the distance between Jammu and Kashmir by 31 kilometers. Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti were also present on the occasion.
After the inauguration, Modi, along with Vohra and Mehbooba, travelled in an open jeep through the tunnel for
some distance.
Sources said, the 9-km long Chenani-Nashri Tunnel was built at the cost of 2,500 crore rupees. It bypasses the snow-bound upper reaches of Patnitop and reduce the journey time by two hours. The tunnel is equipped with world-class security systems and smart features like Integrated Traffic Control System; Surveillance, Ventilation and Broadcast Systems; Fire Fighting System; and SOS call-boxes at every 150 metres. There is also a parallel escape tunnel, with ‘Cross Passages’ connecting to the main tunnel at intervals of 300 metres, sources added.
