Himachal CM meets Modi, seeks highway expansion

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Thursday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here and sought expansion of the Mandi-Pathankot national highway as it is important for the defence forces.

Virbhadra Singh apprised Modi about issues concerning the state. The chief minister sought four-laning of the Mandi-Pathankot National Highway 154 and told the prime minister that the highway was strategically important for the defence forces.

Virbhadra Singh said the ministry of road transport and highways could take up the construction work on this highway on priority, an official statement said.

The chief minister also urged the prime minister to release Rs.224.35 crore earmarked under the Flood Management Programme for Swan river and Rs.11.10 crore for the Chhounch rivulet in Una district.

On tapping tourism and improving road connectivity, Virbhadra Singh said the civil aviation ministry had abruptly discontinued the commercial flights to Shimla three years ago.

He sought early resumption of commercial flights so that the tourists keen to visit the 'Queen of Hills', as Shimla was fondly called by the British rulers in India, could get better air connectivity.

The chief minister also raised the issue of release of funds under the centrally sponsored rural employment guarantee scheme and said that since September the state has not received any grant and that about Rs.90 crore wage liabilities were pending with the central government.

The prime minister assured him that the issues would be taken up on priority and no compromise would be made on developmental issues, the statement added.