Centre approves 112 rural road projects

Tribune Reporters

Shimla, November 26

The Union Ministry of Rural Development has cleared 112 rural road projects and one bridge amounting to Rs 964.25 crore for the upgrade of 1,250-km length.

Of these, 109 roads are covered under green and climate-resistance technology, 17 will be upgraded as intermediate-lane standard, six will be upgraded in quality of single-lane standard and 89 have been proposed for improvement up to single-lane standard, a spokesperson of the state government said here today.

Six roads in Bilaspur, Kullu and Chamba districts, nine in Solan, Una and Hamirpur, 24 in Kangra, three in Kinnaur, two in Lahaul-Spiti, 20 in Mandi, 11 in Shimla and seven in Sirmaur district have been considered for upgrade. The approval was accorded at a meeting held in New Delhi which was chaired by the Secretary, Rural Development, he added. Principal Secretary, PWD, JC Sharma, Engineer-in-Chief RK Verma and Chief Engineer, PM Gram Sadak Yojna, PC Badhan attended the meeting on behalf of the state government.

2 road projects worth Rs18 crore for Kangra

Kangra: The Government of India has sanctioned two road projects measuring more than 34 kms in Kangra assembly segment with an estimated cost of more than Rs 18 crore under Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

Surinder Chaudhary, former MLA and Munish Sharma, local BJP leader and right hand man of CM Jai Ram Thakur, said one project is Kangra – Gahalian road via Rajal – Bohar Kawaloo, Nandrul and Kharat measuring 30.85 kms to be constructed at a cost of Rs. 15.88 crores. Another road project was from Matour to Kahal Uprehar measuring 3.4 km.

Munish said both the projects would ensure better road connectivity to these remote areas of Kangra assembly segment. He said that 24,000 population of these areas will gain from these two roads.

Munish said that work was in progress for Rs 33 crore lift project in the mini secretariat. He further said that a DPR was submitted for the Indoor stadium on Kangra bypass and work on this project will start soon. They alleged that during the last seven years this constituency represented by Congress MLA was left in a lurch.

Local Congress MLA Pawan Kajal claimed that he had recommended these two projects under MLAs priority programme to the state planning commission.