No funds received for 68 NHs from Centre: Govt

Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 21

The state government yesterday trashed the statements by Opposition leaders in a section of media stating that the Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways had sanctioned Rs 1 lakh crore to the state government for the construction of over 68 new national highways.

A state government spokesperson said the statements were far from the truth and concocted. The ministry approved an annual plan of Rs 270 crore for the year in 2017-18 and a total of Rs 469 crore that included consultation cost, cost of land acquisition and bridges as well, he added.

The Ministry of Surface Transport had issued a list of 61 roads declared as ‘in principle national highways’ and subsequently seven other roads were also included. Out of these, three roads were being constructed by National Highway Development Infrastructure Limited.

He said a pre-feasibility report for the Manikaran-Pulga road in Kullu district, part of Old Hindustan Tibet Road, and the Baddi-Kasauli-Dharampur road in Solan district had been prepared.

He clarified that the state government did not receive any money as the same was sanctioned and paid directly by ministry concerned to the consultants and the contractors.

With regard to the 61 new NH roads, the state government has invited tenders on numerous occasions and taken up the matter with the Union Ministry seeking relaxation in the norms whereby the consultants could be finalised to prepare a detailed projects report (DPR). Besides, technical and financial bids had been opened for 36 roads and the same were being sent to the ministry concerned for approval, he said.

He further said there was no laxity in preparation of DPRs as over Rs 800 crore DPRs had been prepared under NABARD and over Rs 2,500 crore of sanction received on the basis of DPR prepared under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY).