(The Gist of PIB) Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel

(The Gist of PIB) Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel
[NOVEMBER-2019]

Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways announced renaming of Chenani Nashri Tunnel on NH 44 in Jammu & Kashmir as Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel.

This 9 km tunnel is the longest such state of the art tunnel in the country, connecting Udhampur to Ramban in Jammu.
it cuts down 31 km of travel distance and reduces the travel time between the two points by about two hours, in addition to substantial savings in fuel cost.

Syama Prasad Mukherjee (1901 – 1953) was an Indian politician who served as the Minister for Industry and Supply in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet.
He quit Congress because of differences of opinion with Nehru led government on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. He founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the predecessor to the Bharatiya Janata Party, in 1951.
About 66 years ago, Dr Mookerjee was arrested illegally from Lakhanpur, and was taken to Srinagar through Chenani Nashari. Dr Mookerjee was a sitting member of Lok Sabha at that time.