HP CM urges Gadkari to expedite work on four-laning of roads

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh urged the Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari to expedite work on Parwanoo-Shimla and Ner Chowk-Manali, four-lane roads being constructed by NHAI and accord sanction to four-laning of Shimla-Mataur (Kangra) National Highway-88.

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Friday urged the Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari to expedite work on Parwanoo-Shimla and Ner Chowk-Manali, four-lane roads being constructed by NHAI and accord sanction to four-laning of Shimla-Mataur (Kangra) National Highway-88.

Singh who called on Gadkari in New Delhi today discussed expansion of road network in Himachal and said that the Shimla-Mataur highway traversed five districts of the state and was of crucial importance for the people.
Chief Minister stressed that roads were lifeline of people in this hill state as rail network and air connectivity is negligible and added that with a road network of over 33000 Kms, the support from Ministry of Surface Transport covers only 1553 Kms under National Highways, an official release here said.

Singh said that there was a great need to consider the demand of Himachal Pradesh for upgradation of nine identified?roads as National Highways, he added.

Virbhadra Singh also pointed out that the Ambala-Shimla-Kinnaur (NH-22) was blocked for the last 3 months at Tapri-Urni in Kinnaur district and there was urgent need to explore the possibility of restoring the old Hindustan -Tibet Road keeping in view the sensitivity of assured road for access to the Indo-China Border area.
He requested that the old Road built up during the 18th?and 19th?century be restored and maintained as National Highway as strategic Border Road, alongwith its original route.

He said that there was a need to relax the norms in terms of advance allocation for urgent repair and maintenance of roads in the State.

Gadkari assured the Chief Minister to look into the pending matters and also directed the senior officers to expedite the work on issuing the pending notification regarding declaring the National Highways of Himachal Pradesh on priority basis, the release said.

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