DW BUREAU / Shimla

The Himachal Pradesh government on Friday said in view of the ensuing monsoon, it has urged Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to release the Rs 150 crore he had promised for the repair of PWD roads connecting the national highways in the state. State Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Vikramaditya Singh met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Thursday evening and urged him to release the funds, a statement issued here said.

Following the discussion, the Union minister approved Rs 50 crore under the Central Road Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) for Khamadi-Tikkar road in Shimla district, it said.

Singh urged Gadkari to release the Rs 150 crore he had promised for the repair of PWD roads connecting the national highways in the state, the statement said.

On March 5, during a visit to Hamirpur, Gadkari had announced Rs 150 crore for roads and bridges in Himachal Pradesh on the demand of Singh and asked the state government to send a proposal to the Centre in this regard.

He had inaugurated and laid foundation stones of 15 National Highway and Ropeway projects worth Rs 4,000 crore in Hamirpur during the visit.

Singh discussed various road projects with Gadkari and apprised him that many important projects have been deleted from the Draft Annual Plan and urged for their inclusion in the Annual Plan 2024-25, it added.

He also requested for the speedy sanction of Rs 30 crore, an estimate of which has already been submitted to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), for maintenance and repair of the Kamand-Kataula and Chail Chowk-Pandoh roads on priority as these serve as alternate roads and ease traffic congestions, the release said.

He said these roads played a major role when a national highway was damaged, adding that these are all-weather roads and their improvement and proper maintenance can be helpful in solving traffic congestions towards Kullu and Manali, it added.

The PWD minister also reiterated Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's request for upgradation of the Shimla-Mataur National Highway to four-lane from two-lane and urged Gadkari to issue necessary directions to the NHAI.

Singh also informed that the rehabilitation estimate of a section of National Highway 5 (Hindustan-Tibet road) worth Rs 70 crore submitted to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is still pending and requested for its speedy approval in view of the annual Mani Mahesh Yatra that begins from Hadsar in Chamba in August. The Union minister has assured of all possible help to the state, the statement added.
(editor@dailyworld.in)