SHIMLA: Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today directed NHAI to speed up land acquisition of the new National Highway projects with the senior officers of state government and set deadlines so that work may start soon.
Presiding over the meeting regarding National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) Chief Minister directed the NHAI authorities to set deadlines for completion of projects. The Government is also planning to urge the Prime Minister to inaugurate and lay foundation stones of a few NHAI projects this year, he said.
He also directed the NHAI authorities to ensure proper maintenance of national highways and four-lane projects being executed in the State so that commuters do not face any inconvenience.
Jai Ram Thakur said presently, the state has about 40,000 kms road length, but being a hilly state a lot more needs to be done.
The present State Government connected 321 villages with roads as compared to 261 roads connected during the tenure of the Congress Government. Over 240 bridges and 3108 kms roads were connected during the last four years, he said.
He directed the NHAI authorities to ensure completion of 85 KM Hanogi-Kullu-Manali road by end of July this year. Rs. 4540 crore part of the highway will boost tourism in the area, he said.
Chief Minister said that presently NHAI was executing 104 kms Parwanoo-Solan-Kaithlighat-Shimla bypass road, 226 kms Kiratpur-Nerchowk-Mandi-Kullu-Manali road, 223 kms Shimla-Bilaspur-Hamirpur-Mataur road and 17 kms Pinjore-Baddi-Nalagarh road.
He directed the NHAI authorities to ensure that these projects meet the deadline as they were very important from State point of view. He said that all these projects on completion would save 131 kms and save 11 hour travelling distance.
He said Union Minister of Surface Transport and Highways has dedicated four lane Parwanoo-Solan section of NH-22 (new NH-05) having length of 39.14 kilometers constructed at a cost of Rs. 1303 crore.
Principal Secretary Revenue Onkar Sharma, Principal Secretary PWD Subashish Panda and representatives of NHAI attended the meeting.
