Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday proposed renaming the Navyug Tunnel, which connects Qazigund with Banihal on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, after the former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who breathed his last on Thursday.
The heartfelt gesture aims to acknowledge Dr Singh's contributions to J&K, particularly his initiatives regarding the four-laning of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, Omar said. “The four-laning project of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was taken up during Dr Manmohan Singh's regime. Today the distance between Jammu and Srinagar is covered within 5 hours, and it's his contribution,” he said while speaking to the media here.
The project and related infrastructure development facilitated easy connectivity, boosting economic growth and tourism in the region, he said.
"Let anyone take the credit for new tunnels on the highway, but we should remember that the process to develop the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was initiated by the late Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh," the CM said.
Omar also praised Dr Singh's commitment towards addressing the issues of the people of Jammu and Kashmir by initiating the Round Table Conference on Kashmir, the appointment of interlocutors, the launch of cross-LoC trade, and the introduction of special scholarships for J&K students. He also credited the former PM for his efforts to rehabilitate Kashmiri Pandits.
Describing Dr Singh as a "true statesman," Omar expressed his gratitude for the late prime minister and proposed renaming the Navyug Tunnel as a fitting tribute to Dr Singh's legacy. He said it would ensure that the former PM's selfless service to the nation and the region is remembered for generations to come.
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