Basholi (Kathua), May 22: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi would be visiting this town in Kathua district of Jammu region on Monday amid tight security to lay the foundation stone of a bridge over the river Ravi, linking it to Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
A heavy blanket of security forces was deployed in the area today, with army leading the security apparatus.
Sonia would be accompanied by the Home Minister P Chidambaram to kick-off the construction of the 592-meter bridge that will cost Rs.145 crores and take three years for completion.
 An advance team of Special Protection Group (SPG) has also arrived here to check security cover for the AICC president.
 “The NSG, army and police is jointly looking after the security arrangements but the internal security will directly be in the hand of NSF,” a senior police officer said, adding, “However, the civilian movement has been restricted around the venue and each vehicle entering or leaving the township is being checked properly.”
 The Basohli Bridge is going to be a technological marvel and it will be a cable-stayed, similar on the lines of the Second Hoogly Bridge in Kolkotta, Naini Bridge in Allahabad and the Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link in Mumbai, an official said.
 He said the bridge will have a tower height of about 88 metres above deck level. “Cables will only support the decking and the span regions. There will be 1.5 meter wide footpaths on both sides,” he said.
 Besides linking the three states, the bridge would offer many opportunities for development, said an official of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which would build the bridge.
 “The bridge will also open up new areas for development and tourism in Kathua and Doda districts in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
 It will also open up an alternative route to Highway 1A and to the Kashmir Valley via Basholi, Bani, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Chhatroo and Anantnag and boost development of these areas with better connectivity.
 Scheduled to be constructed by September 2014, the bridge will open up avenues for commercial mining of materials like Gypsum and Limestone.
 Defence Minister AK Antony, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister for New and Renewable Energy Dr Farooq Abdullah, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju will attend the function.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 22 May 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 22 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 IST