Cong govt not cooperating with Centre in road projects: Tamta
Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Ajay Tamta today said that the Himachal Government was not cooperating with the Central Government in the implementation of various centrally-funded projects, including in land acquisition for the expansion of a railway line.
Tamta, while talking to mediapersons here, said that the Central Government was facing difficulties in implementing its projects due to the delay in the grant of clearances and no objection certificates. “The Central Government is keen to work in close coordination with the state government to implement projects but the support from the state government is not forthcoming,” he added.
Tamta said that roads were the lifeline of Himachal Pradesh and at present, the road construction work at a cost of Rs 73,000 crore was going on with financial help from the Central Government. “If the work is stalled, it will be only because of the present state government, which is not giving clearances due to which crores of rupees were stuck,” he added. He claimed that the Central Government was committed to ensuring development in Himachal provided the state government cooperates.
He said that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was undertaking road construction in the state at a cost of about Rs 43,000 crore. The total length of national highways in Himachal Pradesh was 2,592 km and out of which, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways built 1,231 km, the NHAI 792 km and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) constructed 569 km of roads. At present, 18 projects were under process in the Regional Office of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Shimla.
He said that the NHAI was constructing 768 km of highways and 68 tunnels in Himachal, including the Parwanoo-Dhalli road (Rs 7,913 crore ), Pinjore-Baddi-Nalagarh road (Rs 1,692 crore), Kiratpur-Manali road (Rs 13,784 crore), Pathankot-Mandi road (Rs 10,067 crore) and the Shimla-Mataur road (Rs 10,512 crore).
Tamta accused the Congress of having insulted and ignored Ambedkar. “Congress leaders had campaigned against Ambedkar in the Lok Sabha elections to ensure that he did not become a Member of Parliament,” he alleged.
He said that the BJP was holding seminars on Ambedkar and his contribution to drafting and framing of the Constitution. He accused the Congress of trying to create a false narrative on the Constitution though the reality was that it had insulted Ambedkar during his lifetime.
Himachal Tribune