Govt urged to construct Chamba-Chowari tunnel

Our Correspondent

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Chamba, February 13

The Gramin Welfare Society of Samra in Chamba district has urged the government to construct a tunnel beneath Jot pass from Chamba to link the Chowari township from where access to Pathankot and other areas is convenient.

Pathankot is the nearest and the main railhead from where direct trains ply to and fro to all eastern and southern parts the country. But Chamba lacks the short-distance easy accessibility with the the rest of the country. Easy accessibility is among the key factors for all-round development of any area.

In a representation made to Chief Minister recently, society general secretary Tarsem Bhardwaj said Chamba district was declared an “aspirational district” in November 2017 by the Central Government among 115 such districts of the country under the New India vision of the Centre. But, the long-pending demand of the people for a tunnel between Chamba and Chowari has not be materialised till now, he said.

Geographically, Chamba district, including Bharmour and Pangi, falls in a remote corner of the country. Moreover, there are 21 non-tribal panchayats in Bharmour tribal Assembly constituency which is a part of the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency.

In his representation, Bhardwaj urged the Chief Minister to start the construction of the tunnel from Chamba to Chowari on priority so that the distance from Chamba to Pathankot and Shimla could be reduced.

“Pathankot is 120 km from the district headquarters of Chamba and it takes around five hours to complete the arduous journey passing through the winding hilly road,” Bhardwaj said.

In case of emergency, patients referred from Chamba hospital to other hospitals located outside the district sometimes lose their life in the long journey, Bharadwaj said in his representation.