HP urges Centre for one more national highway

Shimla, Oct 10 (UNI) The Himachal Pradesh Government has urged the Centre to declare the Shimla-Jubbarhatti-Kunihar-Ramshehar-Nalagarh -Ghanauli road as ninth National Highway in the state keeping in view its importance as an alternate road to connect the state headquarters with the industrial township of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal in a letter written to the Union Finance Minister said that total length of this road was 106 kms and with the upgradation of the same the state capital would be approachable through the alternate route and the main road passing through Solan-Parwanoo would also get decongested.

He said that he had also approached the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways to complete the codal formalities for its declaration as National Highway and sought the intervention of the Union Finance Minister to get the matter expedited.

"Himachal Pradesh is predominantly a hilly and geographically difficult state where road communication is the life line of the people. It is only the road network, which has connected the entire state with the outside world," he said.

He said that the road construction had always been accorded top priority by the state government in the absence of adequate railway and air network in the state.

UNI XC PS MMS1705