NABARD grants Rs 109 crore for rural roads in six districts

NABARD has approved Rs 109.3 crore under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) XXX for 10 rural road projects in six districts of Himachal Pradesh, said Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Vikramaditya Singh here today.

He said that the NABARD Project Internal Approval Committee at its 141st meeting approved the grant for improving the road network in rural parts of Himachal. He added that these projects would significantly boost rural connectivity, improve transportation facilities and benefit thousands of people in the state.

The minister said that the state government was making persistent efforts to enhance infrastructure and promote rural prosperity by actively taking up developmental issues with the Central Government. As a result, the state had successfully secured grants for various projects, further strengthening development initiatives, he added.

He said that the approved projects included the upgrade of key roads such as the Junalla-Karloti-Chhat-Berthin road, Tikkar Manoh via Jakhyol-Ramehra-Sulkhan-Dhirwin road and the Rohru-Chirgaon-Dodrakawar road. Besides, link roads connecting Pirsaluhi (Kangra) to Kitpal (Hamirpur), Puyad-Tikkari via Dharli and the Thathar Tripal-Mehwa Panchayat road along with the Saheed Tej Singh Smarak Jatta-Ra-Nullah to Kukrigalu via Harijan Basti Saloun, Katloun and Chhamyar had been included.

A key project also included the construction of a 35-m span bridge connecting Nehwat, Nayaser, Ghaini, and Devidhar. Furthermore, a road with culverts and metalling/tarring from Kanshiwala to Biroja Factory via Jable Ka Bag, Kanol Lag, and Batuni Morch had been sanctioned.

Vikramaditya said that these projects would play a vital role in strengthening the rural economy by ensuring better connectivity to remote areas and facilitating the smooth movement of agricultural produce, daily essentials and public transport. He directed PWD officials to initiate work within a month and maintain high-quality construction standards in these projects.