| News Details |
| Bandipora Steps Up Campaign for National Highway Status to Srinagar–Bandipora–Gurez Road | |
Bandipora,September 13 (Scoop News)-The long-standing demand for National Highway status for the Srinagar–Bandipora–Gurez road has entered a decisive phase with a series of high-level interventions and fresh submissions to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
This vital corridor is widely regarded as a lifeline for north Kashmir, crucial for economic growth, tourism promotion and year-round connectivity to Bandipora and the remote Gurez Valley, which remain vulnerable to harsh winter blockades. Upgrading the road to National Highway standards would reduce travel time, improve safety and open new avenues for trade and employment.
Leading the effort, MLA Bandipora Nizamuddin Bhat has kept the issue alive through persistent engagement with both the Union and UT governments.Some months ago, on Bhat’s directions, Tawheed Sheikh, his close associate and key strategist submitted a memorandum in New Delhi to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and his deputy ministers, presenting the strategic, economic and social arguments for granting National Highway status.
Building on that initiative, on September 10,2025, Sheikh, submitted a comprehensive road proposal along with a formal letter from MLA Bhat, further reinforcing the urgency of the demand. This latest submission includes detailed technical, economic and strategic justifications highlighting the need for a Razdan Pass tunnel to ensure all-weather travel and stressing the route’s strategic importance near the Line of Control.
Over the past months MLA Bhat has repeatedly raised the matter in the Legislative Assembly, written to the Chief Minister and mobilized civil society to sustain public pressure. His relentless pursuit has already prompted the Jammu & Kashmir government to recommend the corridor for National Highway status, with the proposal now under active review by the Centre.
“This road is more than a transport link—it is the economic artery and lifeline of Bandipora and Gurez,” Nizamuddin Bhat said, reaffirming his resolve to continue the campaign until the Srinagar–Bandipora–Gurez corridor is officially declared a National Highway.
As the proposal awaits central approval,people of Bandipora and Gurez remain hopeful that the Union government will recognize the urgency of this long-pending demand and act swiftly to grant the road the National Highway status it deserves
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