Srinagar, Aug 9 (PTI) National Conference president and MP Farooq Abdullah on Monday visited the under-construction Zojila and Z-Morh tunnel projects near Sonamarg and reviewed the status of the ongoing works.

During the visit, he interacted with the officials there, a party spokesperson said.

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On the occasion, he the locals who apprised him about issues concerning them. The locals urged Abdullah that they should be given first preference in the job opportunities in the projects, the spokesperson said.

Abdullah assured the local people that he will take up the matter with Union minister Nitin Gadkari.

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"The locals should have the first stake in such projects. The projects will give a flip to the whole set of economic activities in the region and transform the state of people from that of despondency to opulence," he said.

The MP from the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency expressed gratitude to the executing agencies, engineers and scores of workers who have been working day in and day out on the projects.

"I hope the projects will give a fillip to the tourism potential of the Sonmarg-Kargil-Ganderbal circuit and bring more out of sight places in the region on the tourist map of the country," he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)