State seeks Centre’s assistance for CNG supply

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 16

Transport and Food and Civil Supplies Minister GS Bali today said the Transport Department had asked the Centre to provide supply of CNG to run buses or taxis to Rohtang Pass. The department would submit a comprehensive project to World Bank for funding the various measures ensuring safety of road travellers, he added.

Bali said the state had no CNG/LPG or electricity-run buses and they had sought Centre Government’s help to supply them the CNG. The Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) would run CNG buses as and when they get the supply, he said when quizzed on the national green tribunal’s direction to the government to run CNG buses to Rohtang Pass to control traffic congestion and pollution at the Pass.

Bali announced various schemes like CCTV cameras on National Highway- 21 and NH-22 and plying speed interceptors and checking over speeding and drunken driving on the roads.

Bali said road safety had been a prime concern under the new Transport Policy-2014 and the government was appointing a state committee which would make way for introducing a chapter on road safety in school curriculum. An awareness drive on road safety would be launched in schools and colleges, he added.

Bali said drivers would be trained at centres in Baddi, Nalagarh, Jasrur, Kangra and Nagrota while a special drive would be launched with the help of police to check overloading in trucks in the state. “We have suggested that 10 per cent of new road projects be spent on road safety,” he added.

The minister further said parapets and crash barriers would be laid at the right spots which would have solid foundation.

He said the Rs 10-crore Chamba bus stand would be constructed with fixed norms for private partnerships. Also, Rs 63 crore would be spent on creating transport infrastructure in the state, he added.

Bali said the annual general meeting of the civil supplies corporation had today decided to increase the storage capacity to three times in the state. Two LPG godowns would be opened in Nadaun and Kullu, he added.

Bali said the corporation had paid 10 per cent dividend to the state while its sales had increased from Rs 1,121 crore to Rs 1,216 crore and net profit had increased from Rs 3.92 crore to Rs 3.99 crore this year.