High-powered panel to address NHAI road project issues in state: Speaker

A meeting of a high-powered committee to be chaired by Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Pathania will be held here on Thursday to resolve issues concerning works being undertaken by the National Highway Authority (NHAI) in the state.

The Speaker said in view of the issues regarding NHAI road projects being raised by the MLAs repeatedly in the Vidhan Sabha, he had convened a meeting of a high-powered committee. “The directions to be issued under various enactments will be done after the meeting. Hopefully, we will be able to address issues raised by legislators and provide relief to people,” Pathania said.

He said senior functionaries of the NHAI and Public Works department, and Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) will attend the meeting. Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh said in view of NHAI being a Central Government undertaking, the state government had no control over it even though information was being timely sought from them. He said the NHAI was currently working on 800-km road construction projects in the state.

Sundernagar MLA Rakesh Jamwal and Naina Devi MLA Randhir Sharma raised the issue for need of proper traffic management and diversion of traffic on blocked roads due to landslides across the state during Zero Hour. “In the absence of proper traffic management and timely information, hundreds of vehicles queue up on roads that are blocked. Prior information and traffic diversion by the police can help regulate traffic and avoid inconvenience to commuters,” said Sharma. He also said toll tax must also not be charged on these four lanes that had suffered huge damage.