Palampur-Padhar stretch four-laning held up

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, July 16

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had last year announced that the Palampur-Padhar stretch would be converted into a four-lane highway as proposed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) during the BJP regime. However, even after one year, neither the NHAI had acquired the land for the project nor finalised the alignment of the highway.

The NHAI was still waiting for the consultant’s report, who was appointed by the NHAI for the project. The Pathankot-Mandi four-lane project has already been delayed by four years. Its foundation stone was laid in 2017 by Union Shipping and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.

The project was to be completed by 2021. In the present scenario, it would take three more years to make the highway functional.

Work on the remaining four phases between Pathankot and Palampur has already been awarded to different companies and work is going on in full swing.

Phase-V of this highway project between Padhar and Bijni (Mandi) has also been cleared by the Environment Ministry and global bids have been finalised. However, the Palampur-Padhar stretch is still hanging fire.

Information gathered by The Tribune revealed that earlier there was a proposal for the construction of a two-lane highway between Palampur and Mandi. The NHAI accordingly appointed a consultant, who also prepared a project report for a two-lane highway.

The previous Jai Ram Thakur government had also agreed to a two-lane highway between Palampur and Mandi. But keeping in view that the high volume of traffic, this highway also links Pathankot with Kullu, Manali, Leh and Ladakh and is also used by the Army, the new government demanded the construction of the four-lane highway.

The CM held several meetings with the Union Minister and opposed the construction of two-lane highways in the state.

In principle, he had agreed for the construction of four-lane highways in the state but official confirmation is still awaited.