2007-07-28 00:47:09 -

Ishfaq Tantry
Srinagar, July 27(Etala'at News Service): The Supreme Court of India has given clearance to the Mughal Road project, in its judgement over a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO to stop the project.
The clearance removes the legal hurdles for the completion of 89 km alternate road link to Valley. ''This is a victory not only for us

but for the whole State,- Advocate General of the state Altaf Naik, who represented the State in the Court told the daily etalaat.
The latest verdict has come from a three member Division Bench headed by Chief Justice, Justice Balakrishanan.
In this verdict, the Division Bench has approved the recommendations of Central Empowerment Committee appointed by it in May this year. The two other Judges in the division bench include Justice Arhijeet and Justice S H Kapadia.
In May, a lesser known NGO Biodiversity Conservation Trust had filed a PIL in apex court seeking to stop the work the Mughal Raod on grounds that the project would endanger wildlife in Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary in Shopian district of Kashmir division.
Interestingly, Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary is home to 'Markhor' a ‘Red Data' wildlife specie. Later, admitting the PIL, the Court had sought a detailed report from Jammu Kashmir government on its mitigation plan on the wildlife in the sanctuary.
After the clearance by the Court, the State counsel said that the Jammu Kashmir government had already accepted the recommendations of JK Wildlife Department, in which it has asked for allotting 155 sq km forest land in Hirpora Sanctury to Wildlife Department.
Further, the government had accepted to donate 5 per cent of the project cost to Wildlife Department for the upkeep of Sanctuary including 'Markhor'.
In addition, the state has also accepted not to lay coal tar coating on the road stretch that passes through Hirpora Wildlife Sanctury, Naik said.
Of late, certain political sections in Kashmir had even raised their doubts on the delay in the execution of Mughal Raod.
Peoples Democratic Party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had recently said that Mughal Road Project was being sabotaged by certain sections in State as well as those from outside the State.
The apex court ruling creates hopes of the early completion of the much waited road alternate link between Jammu and Kashmir.
It is also going to bring closer the people on south and north of the Pir Panchal range in the Kashmir Valley and Poonch.
Welcoming the apex court's decision Sayeed called for speeding up the work on the Mughal Road to overcome the loss of time in the execution of this prestigious project due to various legal hurdles.
He said with the project now being cleared, all the resources must be utilised to complete the road within the shortest possible time so that the people of the area get relief.
Sayeed said that the Apex Court judgment has come as a great relief not only for the people of Poonch and Rajouri but also the Kashmir Valley as the construction of Mughal Road would provide much needed alternate connectivity to the valley with the Jammu region.
He said it would also facilitate faster economic development of the remotest areas of the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri and open up some of the spectacular areas in the region for tourism.
Sayeed also hailed the State government officials for their efforts in getting the project cleared.