Rs 4,000 crore project to link every HP village with roads

Shimla, Sep 23 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Government is spending a sum of Rs 4,000 crore to connect every panchayat with a motorable road by March next year, an official spokesman today said.

During last four years alone, a sum of Rs 1600 crore was sanctioned under Bharat Nirman, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna for 1,348 roads projects, comprising 8,000 km road length, he said in a release here.

The spokesman said the government was also spending a sum of Rs 147 crore on the up-gradation and maintenance of National Highways in the state and major bridges, besides completing Ramshila bridge in Kullu district and Sholding and Kasthal bridges in Kinnaur district of the state.

In terms of connectivity, out of 17,449 villages, 8,531 were connected with motorable roads, he said adding that during 2006-07, 1,616 km new roads were constructed, proper drainage constructed in 1,593 km, 777 km roads metalled and tarred, 67 bridges constructed, connecting 187 villages with roads.

A sum of Rs 140.31 crore was spent on roads against an outlay of Rs 217.25 crore in the annual plan during 2006-07, and excepted funds were received from Centre under the PMGSY and Bharat Nirman and from the World Bank.

The spokesman said the Centre had also approved proposals of Rs 968.71 crore for the state under PMGSY, World Bank and Bharat Nirman for the construction and up-gradation of 638 roads of over 4,558 km road length in the state.

For supplementing efforts of the state government in speeding up the construction of roads and bridges in the state, 260 roads and bridges projects were approved for NABARD loan assistance under RIDF-IX and MLA's priority schemes, amounting to Rs 319.66 crore of which a sum of Rs 63 crore have already been incurred during 2006-07, he added.

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