World Bank raps Himachal government over roads work delay

The World Bank (WB) has criticised the Himachal Pradesh government for slow work of the building and repairing the roads for which it has funded the state.

Weeks after a WB team visited the state, a senior official of the bank has dashed off a letter to Chief Secretary P Mitra, asking the Public Works Department and the Himachal Pradesh Roads Infrastructure Development Corporation to pull up their socks.

"More than seven years...96 per cent of the loan has been committed, but the progress of civil works stands at just 55 per cent," the letter said.

The letter also said despite slow progress on several road projects, the bank has already disbursed $ 169.2 million.
 

Around 675 km of road is to be constructed. And, 2,000 km are to be periodically repaired in the state.

"The delay is mainly attributed to the slow progress in the large civil works contracts rebid and awarded last year. This accounts for 40 per cent of the total civil works," the letter said.

A senior WB official cautions, "I uphold the mission's opinion that a concerted effort is required to markedly to improve the pace."

In the near absence of air and rail networks, roads are the lifeline of mountainous Himachal Pradesh.