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Let us build new bridges and cross these holding hands: Manmohan

Luv Puri

— PHOTO: NISSAR AHMAD

VITAL LINK: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurating a bridge over the Chenab in a forward area on Friday. With him are Jammu and Kashmir Governor S.K Sinha (to Dr. Singh’s right), Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, and PDP leader Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.

Akhnoor: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Friday that he was heartened by the positive statements made by the new leaders in Pakistan. “I hope that we will be able to put the past behind us, and that we can move forward with a sense of urgency, not inhibited by false fears or narrow agendas.”

Speaking in this Harappan city after inaugurating the country’s longest cantilever bridge over the Chenab, Dr. Singh said: “We face common economic and social challenges of enormous magnitude. It makes so much sense to work together to face them. After all, for all democratic governments, the highest responsibility is to meet the needs and aspirations of their people. These needs and aspirations are the same all over the world: food, shelter and clothing at the least. Borders do not change either the needs or the challenges.”

Dr. Singh proposed further softening of the Line of Control and said, “We need to improve the management of the bus services along the Line of Control points to make them more people-friendly. In fact, we need to liberalise travel arrangements for Pakistani businessmen, tourists, scholars and others wishing to visit India. Let us build new bridges across rivers and between communities and between regions, and between nations. And let us cross these bridges, holding hands.”

Announcing a Rs.1,600-crore package for refugee groups in the State, Dr. Singh said: “The unfortunate events of the last two decades forced more than 55,000 families to migrate from their homes in the Kashmir Valley. We have a collective responsibility to facilitate the return of these families who are an integral part of the social fabric of the area.”

Dr. Singh said the government proposed to give Kashmiri migrant families, who wish to return to the Valley, a grant of Rs.7.5 lakh to build or buy houses. Pakistan-occupied Kashmir refugees would be given Rs.50 crore to resolve cases of land deficiency or where it is not possible to allot plots in urban areas to these families.

The State government has proposed to provide 6,000 jobs to the educated among the migrant youth. The Centre will bear the cost towards salary for about 3,000 youth till they are absorbed in regular posts in the government.

A boon

The prestigious Chenab bridge goes a long way in meeting the strategic requirements and also the needs of the masses of Rajouri-Poonch.

The two-lane, 280-metre-long balanced cantilever bridge replaces the single-lane multi-span steel bridge of 1932, enabling faster and smooth flow of traffic, including heavy vehicles.

The bridge, constructed by the Border Roads Organisation has been completed in a record 22 months incorporating the latest technologies and the best engineering practices.

In the aftermath of the 1971 conflict with Pakistan, the requirement of a permanent bridge across this river gained significance and permanent bridging of this gap was considered essential by both defence and civil authorities.

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