Working to get road connectivity for all villages: HP CM

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said Himachal Pradesh has been sanctioned Rs 532 crore under MGNREGA to construct 2,267 kms of road as the state government was making efforts to connect all villages with a population above 250.
He said 214 detailed project reports (DPRs) have been approved for these projects under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, and added that construction of roads and bridges, health, education and drinking water were among the top priorities of his government.
During past three years, 1,366 kms of new motorable roads and 134 bridges were constructed, while 255 villages provided with road connectivity, he said addressing a public meeting at Chowai in Ani sub-division of Kullu district.

The chief minister said HP has a network of 34,500-km of roads and the government was now promoting construction of tunnels to reduce the distances.
He added that the 8.9-km Rohtang Pass, gateway to Lahaul valley, would be completed in two years, providing all-weather road connectivity to tribals.
Similarly, there was a proposal to construct a tunnel at Jalori Pass to reduce the distance between Ani and Kullu, he said.

Speaking on education situation in the state, Singh said, "As of now, we have highly trained teachers but it has been observed that a few teachers spend most of the time pursuing their self-interest and not concentrate on teaching."

Noting that HP stood second only to Kerala in terms of literacy rate, the chief minister said the state was moving fast towards achieving total literacy.
Speaking at another meeting at Ladagi, in a remote area of Kullu, the chief minister said prevalence of education among girls got a boost with the opening of government colleges in remote areas like Ani, where they outnumbered boys.