The Chief Minister's Office of Himachal Pradesh announced on Monday, 22 June 2026 that the state government has secured a financial sanction of Rs 137.40 crore under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) for widening the Chail-Chowk-Janjehli road, an 83-kilometre arterial stretch in the Mandi region. The proposal was prioritised and forwarded under CRIF in view of damage caused by natural disasters on this route. A separate allocation of Rs 10 lakh was also noted for the Hanogi-Shaloi-Chhamar road.

Context

The CMO post, written in Hindi, states: 'राज्य सरकार के सतत प्रयासों से चैल-चौक-जंजैहली सड़क को चौड़ा करने के लिए 137.40 करोड़ रुपये की वित्तीय सहायता स्वीकृत हुई है' — meaning 'through the sustained efforts of the state government, financial assistance of Rs 137.40 crore has been approved for widening the Chail-Chowk-Janjehli road.' The post further notes that the 83 km project was sent on priority under CRIF given disaster-related damage sustained on the route.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who has led the state since December 2022, has made post-disaster road reconstruction a central plank of his administration's infrastructure agenda. The Mandi region, like much of Himachal Pradesh, is prone to landslides, cloudbursts, and flash floods that repeatedly sever road connectivity.

Policy Backdrop

The Central Road and Infrastructure Fund was established as the Central Road Fund in 2000, financed through a cess levied on petrol and diesel, to support national and state highway development. In 2018, its scope was broadened and it was renamed CRIF to cover a wider basket of connectivity projects, including bridges and rural roads in ecologically sensitive terrain.

Himachal Pradesh has consistently used CRIF as a primary channel for capital-intensive road works that the state budget alone cannot sustain. The mountainous terrain makes road construction significantly more expensive per kilometre than in plains states, and disaster damage compounds annual maintenance costs. Routing the Chail-Chowk-Janjehli project through CRIF on a priority basis reflects this established practice.

Stakeholders and Impact

The 83-kilometre corridor connects interior pockets of the Mandi district, serving hill residents who depend on it for access to markets, hospitals, and schools. Wider roads on this route would also benefit the tourism economy in areas such as Janjehli, a destination increasingly sought by travellers to Himachal Pradesh.

Local traders and transporters stand to gain from reduced travel time and improved road safety once widening work is completed. Emergency response agencies would also benefit from better access during future disaster events — a recurring concern in a state that experiences significant monsoon disruption every year.

What's Next

The Rs 137.40 crore sanction marks the financial approval stage; tendering, contractor selection, and ground-level execution will follow through the state's public works machinery. Observers will track whether fund releases and physical progress match the priority status accorded to the project.

The smaller Hanogi-Shaloi-Chhamar road allocation of Rs 10 lakh suggests incremental attention to feeder routes in the same region. Further CRIF sanctions for remaining stretches or parallel corridors in Mandi and adjoining districts could follow as the state continues to rebuild and upgrade its mountain road network ahead of the monsoon season.