SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh Congress President and Mandi Lok Sabha MP Pratibha Singh on Sunday asserted that as soon as Congress comes to power in the state, the government would restore the plaque of foundation stone of Atal Rohtang Tunnel laid down by the then Chairperson of UPA-II Government, Sonia Gandhi on June 23, 2010.
Accusing the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur of taking false credit for the construction of Atal Rohtang Tunnel, Congress has flagged images of the foundation stone laying ceremony at the South portal of the Atal Rohtang tunnel and released these to the media here today as an evidence of the event to substantiate her contention and exposing the BJP’s ""solo claim".
Keeping the present politics aside, as a matter of fact BRO has constructed over 1500 m of Rohtang tunnel in July 2012 when the Seri Nalla water ingress delayed the project for many months perhaps for two years and slowed down the pace of work.
After fixing the water ingress problem, the UPA-II regime was voted out from the Centre and NDA-I under Prime Minister Narender Modi took over the command in 2014 and NDA-II in 2019 and put the tunnel project on fast lane.
The project was scheduled to be completed in 2015, but this geological surprise along with winter months delayed the project further.
The Project was conceived in 1983. Geological Survey of India and Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment(SASE) did the preliminary study in 1984, The detailed feasibility study was done in 1996 by RITES after approval from the Centre.
During the regime of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee expedited the project and constructed approach roads to the South and North portal in 2004.
UPA-I took over the reins of Power in Delhi. It took over 11 years from 1996 onwards to get all clearances due to red tape. The Law Ministry of UPA- I gave its approval in 2007 and tender was finalised in 2009 and was awarded to the Austrian firm, Stabag Afcons under UPA-II government led by Dr Manmohan Singh.
UPA-II Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in the presence of the then Chief Minister Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal laid the foundation stone of the tunnel on June 23, 2010.
The images showed Sonia Gandhi, the then Chief Minister PK Dhumal, and former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Vidya Stokes and others at the South Portal of the tunnel. 
Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claims over the Atal Tunnel, Pratibha Singh said he is making an unsuccessful attempt to mislead the people of the country.
The then chairperson of UPA-II government Sonia Gandhi had laid the foundation stone of Rohtang Tunnel on 23rd June, 2010.
She said that people of Lahaul Spiti and people of the state are well aware of this fact.
She said that it is very unfortunate that today the names of the senior Congress leaders, former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Dr. Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, who played an important role in the construction of this tunnel, are not even mentioned.
Pratibha Singh said Chief Minister cannot mislead the people by telling lies.
She charged that BJP is today trying to tamper with the history of the country to serve its political interests.
By removing the foundation stone laid by Sonia Gandhi, the BJP government at the Center and the state has shown its petty mentality, setting up an undemocratic trend in politics.
Pratibha Singh dared BJP to restore the foundation stone laid down by Sonia Gandhi at the same place so that the people of the country can get a true information about the history of this tunnel construction.
