As many as 118.06 km of roads have been macadamised or upgraded across Srinagar district during the current financial year, although several road-widening projects remain delayed by land acquisition, compensation and litigation issues. Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary provided the details in the Legislative Assembly while replying to a question from MLA Ali Mohammad Sagar.

Choudhary said 15.43 km of roads had been upgraded in the Khanyar constituency under special development directives. On Syed Meerakshah Road, 2.68 km of the 10.33-km stretch has been fully widened, representing 25.95 per cent physical progress. Acquisition and settlement have been completed for 132 of the 332 affected structures.

The Government placed the project’s total compensation liability at Rs. 3.36 bn, of which Rs. 612.93 mn had been released, leaving Rs. 2.75 bn pending. It attributed the delay to litigation, land and ownership disputes, missing Section 4 notifications and compensation-related matters.

The 12.45-km Khanyar-Zadibal-Pandrath Road has undergone around 2 km of widening, with 161 of 314 structures acquired and approximately 16 per cent physical progress. On Koolipora-Budoo Bagh Road, 231 metres of the 435-metre stretch has been completed, while 14 of 29 structures have been cleared. The project has been approved at an estimated cost of Rs. 45 mn.

The Government is pursuing bottleneck removal through the High-Level Committee (HLC). The Devi Angan-Hawal Road proposal has been submitted under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) at an estimated Rs. 312.5 mn, including Rs. 300 mn for land acquisition and utility shifting. Alamgiri Bazar Chowk work has been authorised at Rs. 33.5 mn, including the acquisition of five structures and junction redesigning. Acquisition cases involving 34 structures have been taken up on Buchpora-Hazratbal Road, with two completed. Four structures remain on Babapora-Habba Kadal Road, while 24 are pending on Habba Kadal-Gowkadal Road. Choudhary said court cases, family title disputes and compensation assessments were also delaying projects, and that a streamlined mechanism was being implemented to settle outstanding claims.