Declare Nangal-Jaijon road a national highway, Himahcal Deputy CM urges Nitin Gadkari

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri today met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi and discussed several issues related to the state. The Deputy Chief Minister requested Gadkari to increase the validity of All India Taxi Permits from 12 years to 15 years, aligning with the vehicle scrapping policy period of 15 years. Agnihotri said that the Union Minister assured him that he would look into the matter and issued directions to the authorities concerned.

Agnihotri also urged the minister to release a pending amount of Rs 7.63 crore under the scheme for special assistance to the state for capital investment, specifically for incentives related to scrapping old vehicles.

The Deputy CM also demanded that the Nangal-Jaijon road be declared a National Highway, highlighting its importance to the proposed bulk drug park in Una. “A DPR to the tune of Rs 429 crore has already been prepared for the road, and it would be submitted to Government of India under Gati Shakti scheme,” he said.

Agnihotri further demanded that the proposed four-laning of NH 503 A from Amritsar to Hoshiarpur be extended from Bankhandi (HP boundary) to Jhaleda. “This is a stretch of approximately 15 km and would connect Anandpur Sahib to Mata Chintpurni, which would benefit the pilgrims visiting these two shrines,” he said. He also raised the issue of connectivity between Chandigarh and Baddi industrial area, to which Gadkri said that the matter was under active consideration of Centre government.

The Deputy CM also sought approval for the upgrade of link road, Jaijon Modh to Tahliwal Chowk via Bhai-Ka-Modh, and three bridges. Agnihotri said funds to the tune of Rs 48.69 crore for the projects could be provided through CRIF. “The minister assured that he would approve it on priority. Besides, he said the DPR under the Gati Shakti scheme may be prepared and submitted to the Ministry accordingly,” said Agnihotri.