Government orders rebidding for Zojila tunnel contract

The Union Government has ordered rebidding of the strategic Rs 10050-crore Zujila tunnel contract in Jammu and Kashmir, which was earlier given to IRB Infrastructure, reports said on Wednesday.

The decision to rebid the tunnel project was taken at a meeting, presided by Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.

As some doubts were raised in respect of the project, rebidding was ordered to maintain complete transparency and uphold probity in public life.

Zoji La is 9 km from Sonamarg and provides a vital link between Ladakh and Kashmir. It runs at an elevation of approximately 3528 metres, and is the second highest pass after Fotu La on the Srinagar-Leh Highway.

During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, Zoji La was seized by Pakistani fighters in 1948 in their campaign to capture Ladakh. The pass was captured by Indian forces on 1 November 1948 in an assault codenamed Operation Bison.