HP Minister Vikramaditya Singh urges Gadkari for speedy approval of NHs

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Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Wednesday and demanded Rs 500 crore from the Central Road Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) to improve the road conditions in the hill state.

Singh, the public works minister of Himachal Pradesh, requested the Union minister to declare nine roads in the state that have been accorded in-principle approval as national highways, besides including the proposal of the nine roads under the "Bharatmala Pariyojana", covering 1,254 kilometres in the state, according to a statement issued here.

The Congress leader also requested Gadkari to pass an order for considering a proposal of the state to upgrade the Tikkar-Jarol-Gahan-Nankhadi-Khamadi road and build a 560-metre-long bridge over the Swan river in Una district under the CRIF.

He said a sanction was awaited for a 153-km-long missing link from Bihru to Lathiani on NH 503A and requested the Union minister to expedite the approval for the Theog by-pass, which is pending for revised estimates.

He requested Gadkari to include the 31.27-km Nalagarh-Swarghat road, the 50-km Kala Amb-Paonta Sahib-Dehradun road, the 85-km Amb-Una road and the four-km Una bypass for sanction in the Annual Plan 2023-2024.

Singh also urged Gadkari to include two-lane projects -- the 73-km Nahan-Kumarhatti road and the 52-km Chakki-Banikhet-Chamba-Bharmour road -- for sanction in the Annual Plan 2023-2024.

Discussions regarding strengthening the National Highway (NH) wing of the state public works department (PWD) were also held. Gadkari assured the Congress leader that all possible assistance will be provided for the completion of the pending projects well in time.

Singh, who also holds the sports portfolio in Himachal Pradesh, urged Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia for financial assistance from his ministry or other agencies associated with sports promotion for organising the "Rural Olympiad Games" in the hill state in September.

Singh met Scindia in New Delhi on Wednesday evening and apprised the latter that Himachal Pradesh has decided to organise the "Rural Olympiad Games", a mega sports event, in September to promote young talent, according to the statement.

The event will have volleyball, kabaddi, wrestling, boxing and football competitions at the block, district and state levels, Singh told the Union minister, adding that around 50,000 people are expected to participate in it.