CM Sukhu, Vikramaditya meet Nitin Gadkari, seek Rs 173 crore for restoration of roads damaged in last year’s rain disaster
Ask Union Minister to declare Ranital-Kotla, Ghumarwin-Jahu-Sarkaghat roads as national highways
The Newz Radar Network
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Public Works Department Minister Vikramaditya Singh met Union Minister for Road Transport and National Highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi and urged him to declare 39.20 km Ranital-Kotla and 41.50 km Ghumarwin-Jahu-Sarkaghat roads as national highways.
The Chief Minister said that these roads have already been constructed as per national highway standards and stand declared ‘in-principle National Highway’. He said that roads were the major mode of transport in the hill state. He added that no new National Highway has been declared for Himachal in the last eight years. The Chief Minister was speaking in the review meeting of National Highway Projects chaired by the Union Minister at New Delhi last evening.
Sukhu requested to release Rs 172.97 crore for restoration of various state roads adjoining national highways that got damaged due to flashfloods and lanslides during the monsoon season last year. He said that these roads include Kullu-Manali, Mandi-Kamand-Katola-Bajaura road and Chail-Gohar-Pandoh road. The Chief Minister informed that announcement was made by the Union Minister, during his visit to the state after the monsoon-led disaster caused heavy losses in the state, that centre shall provide adequate funds for the repair and restoration of damaged state roads within a distance of 1 km from the national highways.
He said that these roads were of significance as they ease traffic congestions on the National Highways and also proved vital during previous monsoon season wherein many road stretches were damaged on Kullu-Manali Highway.
The Chief Minister said that Shimla-Mataur National Highway is an important highway of the state providing connectivity to eight districts with the state capital and adjoining states. He said that development of highway corridor in different configurations is not advisable from road safety point of view and requested to issue directions to authorities for uniform upgradation of the highways to four lane standards instead of two-lane standard.
Sukhu also informed that 69 in-principle National Highways were declared by Gadkari. Alignment reports for 58 in-principle National Highways were submitted to the Union Ministry for approval in 2018-19, he stated, adding that approval for these alignment reports was awaited and requested for speedy action.
Gadkari assured the Chief Minister of appropriate action on each of the issues. He also directed contractors for timely completion of the works.
CPS Sunder Singh Thakur, Chief Minister’s Principal Adviser Ram Subhag Singh, Principal Secretary Devesh Kumar, Chief Minister’s Secretary Rakesh Kanwar, Resident Commissioner Meera Mohanty and officers of the departments concerned from the state and the Centre were present during the meeting.
