Himachal's Road to Nowhere? CM’s Proposal for BRO Takeover Sparks Debate on Delays, Corruption, and Accountability
Shimla, April 12:
Even as Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu proposes fresh takeovers of key mountain roads by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) — including the vital Leo-Chango and Shiv Mandir–Gue stretches — concerns are growing over the state’s inconsistent approach to road development and the BRO's checkered record in Himachal Pradesh.
CM took the matter here today with DG BRO Raghu Srinivasan.
The state government has often oscillated between assigning critical road projects to the Public Works Department (HPPWD) and then shifting them to BRO, a practice that has led to prolonged delays and confusion on the ground.
Notably, stretches like Tandi–Udaipur–Killar and Gramphu–Kunjam –Kaza, once left languishing under state management, were eventually handed over to BRO.
Construction is going on since decades, but a little progress, lamented the tribals and tourists who face road blockades and landslides on these roads every year.
These routes are only now seeing upgradation after years of stagnation.
However, BRO’s own track record is under scrutiny.
Accusations of corruption have dogged the agency for years, particularly in high-altitude road projects where costs escalate and oversight is weak.
Tribal communities in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti allege that despite crores of rupees being spent annually, BRO has repeatedly failed to stabilise chronic landslide zones, rendering routes hazardous and cutting off entire valleys during monsoons and winter.
"Every year, we see funds being pumped in, but the results remain dangerously inadequate," says a local activist from Spiti.
"The unstable slopes and crumbling roads put lives at risk, and yet no one is held accountable."
While the Chief Minister lauded BRO’s efforts in inhospitable terrains, the ground reality paints a bleaker picture.
Critics argue that without clear accountability and scientific interventions in fragile zones, merely shifting road projects between departments will continue to waste public funds and delay reliable connectivity for Himachal’s remote communities.
The latest proposals, including the Wangtu–Attargoo–Mudh–Bhawa Pass road connecting Kinnaur with Lahaul, once again place BRO at the center of Himachal’s infrastructure ambitions.
Whether this results in durable roads or yet another round of missed deadlines and financial drain remains to be seen.
