Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday said days are not far off when it will be possible to unfurl the tricolour in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

"I have faith that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the way New India's caravan is progressing ahead, that day is not far off when it will be possible to unfurl that tricolour or'Nishan' for which Shyama Prasad Mukherj sacrificed his life in Pakistan occupied Kashmir," Singh said at an event to rename Chenani-Nashri Tunnelin Jammu & Kashmir.

Singh, credited Road Transport and Highways Minister NitinGadkari for accepting the proposal of renaming the tunnel after Shyama PrasadMukherjee without wasting time. In 2017, Narendra Modi had dedicated to thenation this 9 km-long tunnel that reduces the distance between Jammu andSrinagar by 31 km but due to "some compulsions" this could not benamed after Mukherjee, he said. He further noted that 66 years ago on May 11,1953, Mukherjee was arrested from Lakhanpur in an illegal manner without anyFIR, chargesheet or warning and was taken to Srinagar through thisChenani-Nashri road.

After Mukherjee's death on June 23, 1953 his mother wrote tothen Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to hold an enquiry into his death."For some reasons then Prime Minister Nehru did not pay heed to thatletter, no enquiry was done. It is a new era now. It was Nehru government then,today it is Modi government... That probe or lapse can not be compensated butthis tribute for coming generation will preserve his heritage and memory."The lapse on part of Nehru government has been atoned by Modigovernment," he said.

The decision to rename the tunnel comes over two monthsafter abrogation of the provisions of Article 370. The 'Chenani–Nashri Tunnel'was built at the cost of Rs 2,600 crore. The tunnel, bypassing snow-bound upperreaches, reduces the journey time by two hours and provide a safe, all-weatherroute to commuters travelling from Jammu and Udhampur to Ramban, Banihal andSrinagar.

The key features of the tunnel are - it is a single-tubebi-directional tunnel, with a 9.35-metre carriageway, and a vertical clearanceof 5 metres. There is also a parallel escape tunnel, with 'Cross Passages'connecting to the main tunnel at intervals of 300 metres. It also has smartfeatures such as an integrated traffic control system; surveillance,ventilation and broadcast systems; fire fighting system; and SOS call-boxes atevery 150 metres.