Delay in DPRs: Cong refutes BJP charge

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 14

Irrigation and Public Health Minister Vidya Stokes and Health and Family Welfare Minister Kaul Singh Thakur today rubbished the charge of BJP leaders that the state government had not prepared detailed project reports (DPRs) of 61 national highways notified by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in the state.

In a joint statement issued here today, they claimed that the Centre had announced 61 roads as national highways and conveyed its approval in principle for the declaration of 15 roads as national highways on May 10, 2016, having a road length of 1,140 km.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh himself had urged the ministry in June 2016 to consider the remaining proposals prepared by the state government which were important in terms of geographical area, balanced growth, providing connectivity to rural areas and boosting tourism, they said.

“On September 14, 2016, the Centre gave consolidated approval for 61 roads to be declared as national highways, having a total length of 3,880 km,” they added.

Rubbishing the claims of the state BJP, they said the ministry had approved Rs 229.69 crore on October 27, 2016, for the preparation of DPRs through consultants. As many as 39 technical bids had been opened and 20 technical bids were to be opened soon. The entire process of technical and financial evaluation would be completed in February.

The PWD called tenders for the period ranging between July 11 and August 6, 2016, for declaring 15 roads as national highways. The process was delayed as the minister desired to float tenders again on its revised norms under which the state floated tenders for 59 roads and the process was still underway, they said. They said the timeline for the preparation of the DPR had to be eight months and the timeline for scrutiny and approval of DPR was two months. “There was no delay on the part of the national highways wing of the PWD,” they added.