12 buildings demolished in Nalagarh

Tribune News Service

Ambika Sharma

Solan, March 24

The Nalagarh administration today began demolition of buildings, which had been acquired for the widening of the Baddi-Nalagarh highway but the owners had not demolished. As many as 12 buildings were demolished in a joint operation by the local administration and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

The SDM, Nalagarh, who had reviewed the demolition work last week, noted that despite warnings issued to the owners, 80 buildings had not been demolished. At a meeting convened by the SDM, officials of the Revenue Department and the NHAI had taken stock of the tardy pace of demolition work. Earth excavation machines were pressed into service to demolish the buildings, drawing the ire of the owners.

Work on Pinjore-Nalagarh section to begin soon

• Gujarat-based Patel Infrastructure Ltd to soon start the work to widen the Pinjore-Nalagarh section of the highway to four lanes.
• The company’s bid of Rs469 crore was the lowest among 33 bids received by NHAI.
• The work to be undertaken on the EPC mode, as part of the Bharatmala Pariyojana.

The administration, however, stuck to its stand as the delay in the demolition work was affecting the highway widening project, which is yet to begin. As many as 93 per cent of the owners have already been granted compensation for the buildings acquired. The buildings were being demolished for the past several months but the work was yet to be completed due to the laxity of the owners.

The structures are being dismantled for the widening of the 17.37 km Baddi-Nalagarh highway to four lanes.

A stretch of 36 km from Pinjore to Nalagarh is to be widened to four lanes; 17.37 km of it lies in Himachal and the remaining in Haryana. As many as 460 structures are to be demolished for the road project. Besides, 900 trees on private land are to be axed.

Executive engineers of the Jal Shakti Vibhag and HP State Electricity Board Limited have been directed to snap power and water connections of these structures. Some residents, however, have demolished their buildings after the receipt of a 30-day notice last year.

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