Slow progress on Chamba-Khajjiar road upgrade prompts Himachal

PWD Assistant Engineer Shailesh RanaStrap: Mere 15% work done in 7 months, March 2025 is project deadline

The Newz Radar

CHAMBA: The Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department (PWD) has taken stringent measures and slapped penalty on the contractor over the sluggish pace of improvement work on the Chamba-Khajjiar road, with only 15 to 20 per cent of the project completed within a span of six months.
Unhappy with the lack of progress, the PWD has issued a notice to hold the contractor accountable for the delay. The Chamba-Khajjiar road upgrade has long been a source of frustration for both the department and the public due to persistent delays over several years.

The PWD has taken action against the contractor responsible for the previous phase of the project, imposing hefty fines and ultimately cancelling their tender.
On September 14, 2023, the PWD re-awarded the contract for upgrade of the 19-km-long Chamba-Khajjiar road. Despite the project’s stipulated completion time of 18 months, the current contractor has only managed to achieve about 15 to 20 per cent progress.

The project cost is Rs 8.96 crore. To expedite the project and meet the deadline, the PWD Division in Chamba has warned the contractor that failure to improve the pace of work following the notice would result in further penalty.

Shailesh Rana, Assistant Engineer of PWD Sub-Division No. 1, Chamba, confirmed the issuance of the notice, emphasising the department’s commitment to improving the road condition for the convenience of the public.