Nasir Azam
Srinagar, Apr 21: The Defence Ministry is understood to be in favour of delinking the project of relocation of its transit camp in Kashmir Valley from the Prime Minister’s Development Project (PMDP) for Jammu & Kashmir.
Documents in possession reveal that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is of the view that relocation of the transit camp in Srinagar should be delinked from the PMDP. “The project is funded exclusively out of the Army Budget, the MoD is of the view to delink it from the PMDP,” reads the status report of the projects funded under the PMDP.
The relocation of the 216 transit camp is part of the development package unveiled by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Jammu & Kashmir in 2015. The proposal for shifting of the transit camp located opposite to the Army’s 15 Corps headquarters at Badami Bagh, Srinagar was mooted after 2014 floods.
Under the package, Rs 150 crore were kept for shifting of the transit camp of Army to old Airport.
According to the status report, there has been no progress on the project so far as a revised detailed project report awaits approval of the Defence Ministry.
“Transit Camp to be relocated to Old Airport for which DPR revised at Rs 128.35 crore for which approval (is)awaited from MOD,” the status report further reveals.
According to the report, Rs 107 crore have been released for the project till date but there has been no expenditure.
It is worthwhile to mention here that Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled Rs 80000 crore package for infrastructure building in Jammu and Kashmir during a public rally at SK Park, Sonwar on November 7, 2015.
