India is expeditiously completing work on the Kartarpur Corridor, dismissing reports that New Delhi was lagging behind while Pakistan has completed 70 per cent of the work.
Sources said nearly 45 per cent of the work on a four-lane highway connecting Zero point of the Kartarpur corridor up to the National Highway 354 has already been completed by the National Highway Authority of India.
Punjab Cooperation and Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who is head of Kartarpur Development Project, claimed to a newspaper on Monday that Pakistan had completed more than 70 per cent of work, while India was still lagging behind with just about 30 per cent completion.
The road is scheduled to be completed by September 30, 2019 even though the agency was awarded the contract worth Rs. 120 crores in January this year.
Furthermore, the land acquisition process for the construction of the state-of-the-art passenger terminal building has already been completed. It is being constructed by the Land Ports Authority of India. The work was awarded on May 29, 2019 to Shapoorji Palonji company and is expected to be completed by October 31, 2019. The total cost of the project is Rs 177.50 crores.
India and Pakistan officials are slated to sit down for a meeting on the Kartarpur Corridor on July 14 during which issues related to providing facilities for pilgrims along the Corridor will be discussed.
The two sides will also discuss the issue of allowing a larger number of pilgrims to move across the corridor during the upcoming meeting, the sources said.
India has raised concerns regarding the possible flooding of Dera Baba Nanak due to the construction of an embankment filled road on the Pakist side.
"Three rounds of technical level discussions have been held with the Pakistan side and they have been asked not to create structures that would, in any manner, endanger life and property on the Indian side due to flooding," the sources said.
India is already building a bridge on its side to provide all-weather connectivity for the Kartarpur corridor. Pakistan has also been urged to build a similar bridge on their side as it would provide safe and secure movement of the pilgrims while also addressing concerns regarding flooding.
"The government remains committed to expeditiously realise the Kartarpur corridor so that the pilgrims can have easy, smooth, secure and safe access to the holy Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib throughout the year," the source added.
( With inputs from ANI )