Stuck in slow lane: Bureaucratic hurdles derail road project

The recent directive by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to shelve all highway projects lacking Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) or pending environmental and forest clearances is expected to hit Himachal Pradesh hard. Among the most affected is the crucial 60-km stretch of the Pathankot-Mandi four-lane project, which falls in the Mandi and Kangra districts.

Despite being declared a strategic project — offering the shortest road link between Pathankot and Leh-Ladakh — the four-laning of this stretch has been hanging fire for the past six years. Laid with much fanfare in 2017 by Union Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, the project was originally scheduled for completion by 2021. However, technical challenges and administrative delays have brought progress to a complete halt.

In the last three years, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has failed to get a DPR prepared for this stretch. Repeated tenders were floated, but no consultants came forward due to technical constraints. The only tender received was rejected on technical grounds. Without a DPR, NHAI was unable to initiate land acquisition or secure mandatory clearances, stalling the project indefinitely.

Interestingly, work on other segments of the Pathankot-Mandi highway has moved ahead. Four phases between Pathankot and Palampur are already under construction by different companies. Even the fifth phase, from Padhar to Bijni (in Mandi district), is currently underway. The lone laggard is the Palampur-Padhar section, now trapped in uncertainty.

Originally, the NHAI had proposed a two-lane highway between Palampur and Mandi, and a DPR was prepared accordingly. The then Jai Ram Thakur government had supported the two-lane model to prevent extensive tree felling, landslides and environmental damage in the sensitive Joginder Nagar-Padhar zone. However, the current state government, citing heavy traffic, pushed for a four-lane highway.

While Gadkari had agreed in principle to the four-lane upgrade, progress stalled. Without a fresh DPR and clearances, no land could be acquired, worsening the delay and inconveniencing commuters and tourists alike.

Now, with MoRTH’s latest order communicated to Chief Secretaries in late June, the Palampur-Padhar stretch faces indefinite postponement. If implemented, the directive could freeze not just this project but several others across the state, delivering a major blow to Himachal’s road infrastructure plans.