17 new National Highways announced for Himachal Pradesh

The Centre has given its in-principle approval for 17 new national highways in Himachal Pradesh, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said here today.
These national highways include stretches of state highways - the 57 km Bhota-Nerchouk, 47 kmRanital-Kotla, 62 kms Rohru- Bhalidhar-kiari-Kotkhai, 153kms Chailla-Sarahan- Narayangarh, 106 kms Taradevi-Nalagarh-Ghanouli, 118kms Neripul-rajgarh-Banethi, 125 kms Mandi-Chailchouk-Nagan, 78 kms Narkanda-rohru, 14kms Takshal-Nogli,43.
The total length of these roads will be 1368.20 kms.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Gadkari said he will include more roads after consultation with MPs to bring the total road leangth to 1500 kms in this year.
Gadkari said, "If the state government helps in land acquisition procedure, the ministry under him will not hesitate in widening the every national highway in Himachal Pradesh.

"He said that the central government is encouraging Himachal Pradesh in shifting towards electric transportation system."

Gadkari said, "ISRO has developed Lithium batteries for buses which are 30 per cent cheap to its European version, once the commercial production is on India shall have electric buses on low price.
He said that the government is encouraging the owners of the deasel taxis to convert their vehicles to CNG kits.
The government is also getting extra timefrom court to off road the diesel vehicles.
Gadkari said that there is ample space for the extension of the runway in Gaggal airport of Dharamshala.

He said, "The land mass extracted of due to the four-lanning of Pathankote -Mandi NH can be used for filling of land for extending the air stripe."
He said that the artificial water bodies created due to big dams in Himachal can be used for aero planes which could land on water surfaces to attract the tourists.
In the press briefing, Transport Minister of Himachal G S Bali was also present.