SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh is set to get a major road boost. The Centre will soon approve 340 rural road projects worth about ₹3,000 crore under the second phase of PMGSY-4..
PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh shared the news on Friday while speaking to reporters here.
"Development is our top priority," Singh said. "We will rise above party politics to build a developed Himachal Pradesh."
The new project covers 1,659 kilometres of rural roads across the state. "All the paperwork for these 340 roads is complete," the minister said. "We expect the final nod from the Union Ministry of Rural Development very soon."
This comes on top of ₹2,300 crore already approved under PMGSY-4 for 290 roads spanning 1,500 kilometres, which are currently underway.
Beyond roads, the state is also focusing on bridges to link cut-off areas. Singh noted that bridge projects worth ₹128 crore are in the pipeline for central clearance.
"Our goal is year-round connectivity for remote areas," he said. He also urged local villagers to help speed up land gift deeds: "Please cooperate with the paperwork so we can build your roads without delay."
Meanwhile, routine road upkeep is moving fast. The state is spending around ₹800 crore on annual road maintenance.
However, work faces a hurdle. A global shortage of bitumen has slowed down tarring work across the hills.
To tackle this, the minister plans to head to Delhi. "I will meet the Union Petroleum Minister soon to explain our situation and seek special help for Himachal," Singh said.
Singh, who recently returned from an official trip to Brazil, said he also studied modern road-building and urban planning methods there to see what could work in Himachal’s tough mountain terrain.
