Pvt four-laning firm cuts off access to village road

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, June 17

Access to the Kimmughat-Chakki-ka-Mor road, which was completed after 17 years, from the Dharampur-Parwanoo section of the National Highway-05 has been blocked by the private company four-laning the highway by erecting a wall.

Though the GR Infraprojects, which was four-laning this highway, has provided access to all roads lying en route Parwanoo to Solan, this link road has been blocked.

“Since the company proposes to have a toll plaza at Sanwara once the four-laning is complete, the presence of this link road, which provides connectivity to Kasauli would incur losses” informed Executive Engineer, PWD, Rajesh Kumar.

He said the first stretch of 15-km of this road was constructed by the PWD while the remaining one-km was constructed by the local panchayat and small vehicles had started plying on it since March. It was also placed under the MLA Priority Scheme for further repair and completion. He said the GR Infraprojects have been directed to provide access to this link road so that the funds incurred on it would not be wasted and the villagers would not be made to suffer.

The issue was aired by the villagers before the district administration as a population of about 2,000 residing in 15 villages would be affected. The road is supposed to chiefly serve the agrarian community residing in these villages and it would also reduce the distance of Parwanoo from Kasauli by more than 25 km.

It has taken 17 years for the road to be completed and its work was undertaken in a piecemeal manner. Ironically it was denied access to the highway now that it was completed.

SDM Solan Rohit Rathore, who visited the site to take stock of the situation, said the GR Infraprojects have been directed to work out an access route as the villagers can’t be denied connectively.

Local MLA and minister for Social Justice and Welfare Dr Rajiv Saizal who intervened in the issue said the GR Infraprojects has been directed to work out a suitable access at the earliest. Crores have been spent on this road and it would provide access to the more than 2,000 villagers residing there.

First phase over in 2002

The first phase of the project, comprising 7-km stretch, was constructed in 2002 at a cost of Rs 1.06 crore, while work on the second stretch of about 8 km was completed years later. Forest clearance for the remaining 1.2-km stretch which involved axing of 128 trees was secured in 2014. Its survey was conducted, but politicians evinced little interest and the project was delayed. The last leg of the 1-km was carved out in March this year.

Firm told to work out suitable access 

Local MLA and minister for Social Justice and Welfare Dr Rajiv Saizal who intervened in the issue said the GR Infraprojects has been directed to work out a suitable access at the earliest. SDM Solan Rohit Rathore, who visited the site to take stock of the situation, said the GR Infraprojects have been directed to work out an access route as the villagers can’t be denied connectively.