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The Union Government has approved nineteen road and tunnel schemes worth about Rs 106.4 billion for Jammu and Kashmir, promising faster journeys and reliable, year-round access to several frontier districts along the Line of Control. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari gave the green light to the package, which covers 296 kilometres of new or upgraded corridors.Headline project is the Rs 38.3 billion Peer-Ki-Gali tunnel, an alternative all-weather route between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India. The Rs 33.3 billion Sadhana tunnel will secure round-the-year travel to Karnah near the LoC. Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha said the projects will boost troop mobility, stimulate tourism and spur economic growth.Other sanctioned works include the Zaznar-Shopian section (Rs 8.5 billion), a four-lane fly-over from Lal Chowk to Parimpora (Rs 7.0 billion), the Trehgam-Chamkote link (Rs 9.7 billion), a four-lane Magam fly-over on the Narbal–Gulmarg road (Rs 4.5 billion), the Qazigund bypass (Rs 950 million) and a two-lane bridge over the Rambiara at Shopian (Rs 710 million).Chief Minister Omar Abdullah hailed the announcement as “a major achievement� for his administration, crediting the Centre for backing strategic schemes such as the Mughal Road and Tangdhar tunnels. The Awami Ittehad Party also welcomed the long-awaited Sadhana tunnel, noting that the initiative followed MP Engineer Rashid’s winter appeal to Mr Gadkari.