Fourlane Update: Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, while presiding over the review meeting of the National Highways Authority of India on Thursday, during his recent visit to Delhi discussed various issues raised with the Union Road Transport Minister regarding the development of road infrastructure in the state.
Delhi Authority member Manoj Kumar was specially present in this meeting. The Chief Minister said that strengthening road connectivity in the state is the topmost priority of the state government.
The National Highways Authority of India should speed up the four-lane road projects being implemented in the state. The state government has simplified and time-bound all other processes including forest clearances.
The state government will provide all possible help to the authority in the development of roads.
He said that the authority has agreed in principle to prepare a four-lane road from Shimla to Matour worth about Rs 10,000 crore and from Pathankot to Mandi worth about Rs 12,000 crore.
Along with this, the National Highways Authority of India will prepare a concept paper to prevent landslides and falling of stones etc. due to the cutting of mountains during the expansion of roads in the state.
He said that about 300 crore rupees will be spent through NHI on the project to stop the falling of stones and debris etc. on these roads during rains.
Due to better road connectivity, the inflow of tourists will increase here and better facilities will also be available to them.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government has decided to develop Kangra as a tourism capital and from this point of view also the Pathankot-Mandi and Shimla-Mataur four-lane road projects are important.
He said that the detailed project reports of various packages of the Pathankot-Mandi four-lane road project should be prepared soon, except for the 19 kilometer stretch near Mandi town.
Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sanjay Awasthi, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Bharat Kheda, Principal Secretaries RD Nazim and Onkar Chand Sharma, NHAI Regional Officer Abdul Basit and other senior officers were present in the meeting.
Make DPR of Hamirpur bypass soon
The Chief Minister directed that the DPR of Hamirpur bypass should be prepared soon. The CM said that the state government is also promoting the operation of electric vehicles.
In such a situation, the authority should also make provision for charging stations at a proper distance for electric vehicles in these four-lane road projects.
The process to provide compensation for the land acquired for these projects has been expedited and necessary instructions have been issued to the concerned Deputy Commissioners in this regard.
Bus port will be built with the help of NHAI
Preparation of business model of bus port in collaboration with NHAI and necessary cooperation from NHAI in the development of rope-way projects in the state, especially Himani Chamunda and Bijli Mahadev rope-way, was also discussed in detail in the meeting.
Apart from this, matters related to increasing the speed limit of vehicles in plain areas of four-lane roads, providing way-side facilities along these roads and allocation of revenue were also discussed.