What’s happening with the 25 highways in Himachal?

Bilaspur, July 5 (NationPress) In the midst of a dispute between the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the Himachal Pradesh government, BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda announced on Saturday that construction is ongoing for 25 national highways in the state, with a cumulative length of 2,592 km.

Of this network, 785 km is being developed by the NHAI, 1,238 km by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), and 569 km by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), all central government entities.

Nadda expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for their support in these projects.

The rift between the NHAI and the state government arose earlier this week following an alleged attack related to the collapse of a vacant five-story building adjacent to the highway construction site.

On July 1, the state police filed a case against state Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh Rana and six others for allegedly assaulting two NHAI officials, igniting a political uproar with the opposition BJP demanding his resignation from the Cabinet.

Nadda, a native of Himachal Pradesh, stated during a press conference in his hometown of Bilaspur that four significant NHAI projects are in progress, with the majority expected to be completed by 2026 and 2027.

He detailed that for the four-lane Kiratpur-Manali National Highway, designed to alleviate traffic through Mandi city, an allocation of Rs 7,667 crore has been made, including 12 tunnels spanning 11.51 km.

Similarly, for the Shimla-Mataur highway, Rs 10,208 crore has been earmarked, which includes the construction of 15 tunnels totaling 13.41 km. The Pathankot-Mandi highway, with a budget of Rs 1,088 crore, encompasses 10 km of roadway.

Nadda indicated that he plans to discuss highway construction issues with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu. He noted that while the sanction for the Sumdo-Kaza road was approved in 2024, the state government has yet to provide necessary forest clearance, despite the BRO managing the work.

For Bilaspur, his home district, Nadda announced an allocation of Rs 35 crore for upgrading the Ghumarwin-Shahtalai Road by 2026.

In response to the ongoing rift between the NHAI and the state Congress government, Nadda remarked, “What can be expected from a government where the protectors are the predators? Himachal Pradesh is Dev Bhoomi (land of gods), and such incidents are both alarming and disheartening. It’s unprecedented for a public official to take the law into their own hands in Himachal Pradesh.”

Nadda claimed there is an attempt to foster an impression that the central government is neglecting Himachal, while the state government has been unable to utilize the funds allocated by the Centre.

According to official data, from 2021 to 2025, Rs 360.11 crore has been allocated by his ministry under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), with the state government managing to expend only Rs 78 crore.

The initiative aims to establish 73 block-level public health units in the state, of which only six have been completed, with tenders issued for 14. Eight critical care units are also planned.

Moreover, the state received Rs 521 crore from the 15th Finance Commission, out of which only Rs 128.62 crore has been utilized. He mentioned that the Chief Minister approached him on May 25 seeking funds from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The Centre sanctioned Rs 1,138 crore on June 30, with Rs 1,024 crore given as a grant to the state, while the remainder is a low-interest loan.

For natural disasters, Nadda noted that Prime Minister Modi allocated Rs 1,736 crore through the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF), Rs 1,071 crore from the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF), and Rs 339 crore from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund over the last three years. Recently, the Home Minister allocated Rs 2,006 crore under the Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Fund (PDRRF) for the state.