HP Min urges Centre to include 9 state roads under 'Bharatmala Pariyojana'

He said this would not only promote tourism but also strengthen road connectivity in the state

Himachal Pradesh Minister Vikramaditya Singh on Monday urged the Centre to include nine roads spanning 1,254 kilometres under the 'Bharatmala Pariyojana', officials said.

Bharatmala Pariyojana is a new umbrella programme for the highways sector that focuses on optimising efficiency of freight and passenger movement across the country by bridging critical infrastructure gaps through effective interventions like development of economic corridors, national corridor efficiency improvement and border connectivity roads, among other things.

Singh met Alka Upadhyay, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in Delhi and submitted a list of the nine roads, including a 90 km stretch of NH-303 from Jawalamukhi to Jassur and 260 km road from Dhalli in Shimla to Tattapani to Ner Chowk and Dadour, which would provide alternate connectivity from Shimla to Mandi and Kullu, the officials said.

The Public Works Department (PWD) minister said this would not only promote tourism but also strengthen road connectivity in the state. He also discussed the condition and progress of various other roads in the state.

Earlier, Singh met Union Minister for Rural Development Giriraj Singh.