NHAI Shimla incident unfortunate, HP Govt administration at all-time low: JP Nadda in Bilaspur
'When the protector himself becomes the predator, how will the administration function. I am worried and hurt the way things are happening in Himachal Pradesh,' said the BJP national chief while addressing the Media in Bilaspur on Saturday.
Addressing the media during his visit to Bilaspur, Nadda said he had held a detailed meeting to review ongoing National Highway projects in the state and issued directions for the future course of action.
'I have been an MLA and minister in Himachal Pradesh. Never has the administration functioned at such a low level. The recent incident involving NHAI officials in Shimla is deeply unfortunate,' he stated.
Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Nadda stated the Central Government was committed to accelerating infrastructure in the hill state.
He stated that as per current data, 2,592 km of national highways are being developed in Himachal Pradesh. Of this, 785 km is being executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), 1238 km by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), and 569 km by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
Detailing the key road projects, he said that the roads and projects would be completed by 2026 and 2028, respectively. He said the Parwanoo-Shimla highway, with an allocation of Rs 7,667 crore, is targeted for completion by April 2027.
The Kiratpur-Manali highway, worth Rs 9,452 crore, involves 28 tunnels totalling 41 km. The Sundernagar bypass has been completed; Nerchowk to Pandoh is to be completed by March 2026, while the Takoli-Kullu and Kullu-Manali stretches are already done.
He said that the Shimla-Mataur highway has a budget of Rs 1,208 crore and includes 15 tunnels across 13 km. DPRs (Detailed Project Reports) are being prepared for the Shimla-Shalaghat and Bilaspur-Hamirpur roads, with the latter's DPR initiated in October 2022.
The Pathankot-Mandi highway, a Rs1,088 crore project, includes 13 tunnels over 10 km. The Pinjore-Baddi-Nalagarh stretch (Rs 1,092 crore) is slated for completion by 2026.
The Paraur to Paddar road is expected to be completed by 2026, and the Punjab border to Mandi stretch by 2028.
Nadda said he would be writing to the Himachal Chief Minister about the state's consent and No Objection Certificate (NoC) mechanism for national highways. He pointed out that the current process, which treats NH projects as industrial entities and requires annual consent, is creating unnecessary delays and needs streamlining.
On the issue of dredging in the Beas River, he said it was the primary responsibility of the state government, although the Centre was open to resolving such matters case-by-case.
Referring to the Sundo-Kaza to Gramphu stretch approved in 2024, he said it was 'still awaiting forest clearance from the Himachal government.'
Nadda also revealed that the Ghumarwin-Bharari-Shatalai road had been taken up under the Central Road Fund (CRF), and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju had recently sanctioned Rs 151 crore for various infrastructure projects in the state.
He dismissed claims that the Union government had not supported Himachal Pradesh.
'We have already given Rs 1,700 crore as disaster assistance. Rs 1,000 crore has been spent. But the state has only used 21% of the Ayushman Bharat health budget and 24% of the health support funds,' he said.
He stressed the need for involving local residents and expert consultants in the preparation of DPRs and ensuring community consent for project planning.
On issues related to compensation and dredging, Nadda said the Centre remained open to dialogue and resolution, but the state must take the lead.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Kangana Ranaut is expected to visit flood-affected areas of Himachal Pradesh shortly. Nadda said there was no communication gap between the Centre and the state BJP leadership, adding that former CM Jai Ram Thakur was monitoring the situation closely. (ANI)
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