Centre Clears ₹3,667 Cr Road Plan for Himachal.
Tunnel dreams at Jalori Jot get ₹1,452 Cr nod, Bhubu Jot pitch made to Defence Ministry
Shimla, 30 June 2025 —
After a year of heavy rains, road collapses, and stranded tourists, the Centre has finally greenlit an Annual Road Plan worth ₹3,667 crore for Himachal Pradesh. While the state Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh is all smiles after securing these funds, a deeper look reveals a tale of chronic neglect, delayed promises, and political optics.
Tunnel at Jalori Jot: Game Changer or Long Wait?
Among the big-ticket announcements is a ₹1,452 crore in-principle approval for a tunnel under Jalori Jot in Kullu district, meant to ease connectivity in the Seraj region.
Yes, it's a much-needed lifeline for locals and a possible boost for tourism, but critics point out that it's been in the pipeline for years. The real question: how long before this approval translates into a tender and eventually a tunnel?
Brauni Nala’s Bridge Finally Gets Noticed
Another ₹135 crore has been cleared for a bridge near Brauni Nala on NH-5, a spot notorious for repeated landslides.
Locals say it took years of roadblocks, landslide-triggered detours, and social media outrage for the authorities to act.
If this is disaster-driven development, it’s also a clear indictment of the Centre’s earlier neglect — last year, Himachal submitted a ₹2,600 crore plan but received just ₹269 crore.
Four-Laning Dreams — or Displacement?
The Centre has also sanctioned ₹1,385 crore for land acquisition and pre-construction work for four-laning the Kala Amb–Paonta Sahib–Dehradun stretch. While infrastructure push is welcome, villagers along the route fear eviction, inadequate compensation, and lack of transparency in land acquisition processes.
Bhubu Jot Tunnel: Still Just a Pitch
Minister Vikramaditya Singh says he met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and requested the Bhubu Jot tunnel (between Mandi and Kullu) be declared a strategic defence route.
But this is still in the ‘request’ phase, with no formal clearance or funding commitment. Local voices call it a classic pre-election bait — tall talk, no timelines.
A Pattern of Piecemeal Approvals
The broader picture paints a concerning trend. Despite facing one of the worst monsoon disasters last year,
Himachal’s road proposals were largely shelved until now. Only after the state amplified its pitch — and perhaps after political equations changed — did the Centre act.
Even now, the real disbursal, tendering, and groundwork remain months — if not years — away.
Minister Vikramaditya Singh has certainly made the rounds in Delhi, meeting both Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh. But good optics aside, many in the hills are asking tough questions.
And how many more monsoons will wash away lives and roads before the promises become reality?
Verdict: Promises Rolled Out, But Ground Reality Still Bumpy
While ₹3,667 crore sounds like a breakthrough on paper, Himachal’s vulnerable geography and unpredictable climate demand sustained, time-bound, and transparent execution — not just headlines and handshake photo-ops in Delhi.
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