Minor changes in alignment of highways: NHAI

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, July 18

The NHAI will not close its establishments in the state and construction of both four-lane projects Pathankot-Mandi and Kangra-Shimla will be taken up as per schedule. There is a proposal in hand either to discontinue the four-lane projects or close its offices in the state.

A senior NHAI official said to avoid environmental degradation and cutting of hills, there would be slight changes in the alignment of highways. Therefore, the land acquisition for both projects was being reviewed. He termed the news baseless, saying all four offices of the NHAI in Palampur, Mandi, Hamirpur and Shimla were fully functional and no project director had either been shifted or asked to join some other place. He said in the original plan, there was a proposal to acquire 45 m, but because of difficult topography and sliding hills, it was not possible to get this much land. Now, it would acquire only 33 m, particularly in hilly areas, while in plains, the NHAI could acquire 45 m, depending upon the availability of land.