HP seeks Rs 2,500 crore from World Bank to improve roads

Shimla, Apr 14 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said his government was seeking Rs 2,500 crore from World Bank for widening and improving road network in the mountainous state.

Addressing people on the occasion of inaugural Air Deccan flight to Delhi from here, he said while the World Bank will give the major portion as a grant, a minor share will be in form of a loan.

Mr Singh said the loan would go a long way in constructing road expressways in the state.

He said the Himachal Government had contributed a sum of Rs 46 crore for the construction of the airports at Shimla, Kullu, Kangra besides a Civil Enclave at Pathankot.

With the opening of all these airports, the landing of ATR-42 type has been made possible and this would help in attracting high-end tourists to the state, he noted.

The Chief Minister said his government was also spending huge sum of money on its own on constructing airports at all the major towns of the state which were later handed over to the Airport Authority of India (AAI).

Observing that since there was inadequate railway network in the state, more towns and places in the state should be provided better air connectivity to attract more tourists from around the world, he said the Centre has also agreed to construct Bhanupali-Bilaspur railway line as a national project, which would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 870 crore.

State Transport Minister G S Bali and several other prominent people were also present on the occasion.

UNI