Cong leader inspects damaged Chamba–Bharmaur highway

Congress leader Kewal Singh Pathania conducted an extensive inspection of the damaged Chamba–Bharmaur National Highway on the first day of his two-day visit to Chamba district on Friday. He reviewed several severely affected stretches and directed senior officials of the National Highway Authority to prioritise restoration at the most critical points.

Pathania noted the highway had suffered massive damage during the last monsoon season. However, he praised the engineers and workers of the National Highway division for their round-the-clock efforts to restore connectivity in record time.

He said Rs 42 crore has recently been sanctioned for the repair of the damaged portions, with an additional estimate of Rs 97 crore submitted to the Union Ministry. “Once approved, the restoration work on this crucial road will gain further momentum,” he added.

Pathania stated after completing the inspection, he would bring the matter of the highway’s repair and strengthening to the attention of the Chief Minister to ensure the remaining work is completed quickly and the road is improved.

During the inspection, he visited several severely damaged spots, including Rugdi Nala near Bagga, Churi, Dharwala, and Lothal, along with other affected stretches. He issued directions to officials for swift repairs and long-term strengthening of the route.

Officials from the National Highway division briefed Pathania on the progress made so far and the planned future work to improve the highway’s durability and safety.

Present at the inspection were Superintending Engineer Manish Sehgal, Executive Engineer Meet Sharma, Bhattiyat Block Congress Committee president Vijay Kanwar, HRTC Board of Directors member Advocate Surjit Bharmouri, Gaj Power House Executive Engineer Subhash Sharma and retired Tehsildar Bhuvnesh, among others.