During the meeting of CM Pushkar Singh Dhami with Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi, several important decisions have been taken regarding various road and infrastructure projects of Uttarakhand.
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami met Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Thursday and requested for early sanction of several road and infrastructure projects of Uttarakhand. Referring to the huge increase in the number of tourists during the Chardham Yatra in recent years and the increasing traffic pressure on the roads of the state, the Chief Minister said that along with increasing the traffic carrying capacity and proper maintenance of the roads, various projects of the highest priority of the state government, which are important from the point of view of regional connectivity, tourism and economic progress, need to be approved at the earliest.
CM Pushkar Singh held detailed discussions with the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways regarding various projects in the state. On this occasion, every year to the State of Uttarakhand regarding Residue Reimbursement under Central Road Infrastructure Fund. It was agreed to reimburse the amount due as per the terms. It was also decided that the process of land acquisition and transfer of forest land for construction of elevated road in Bindal River and Rispana River as a loop of National Highway No. 07 for a total length of 26 km will be taken up by the State Government. The remaining amount for the construction of the project will be borne by the Government of India subject to waiver of S.G.S.T and Royalty due on the construction cost of Rs.6164 crore by the State Government. Similarly, it was also decided to bear the remaining expenditure of Rs. 183 crore in the revised alignment of National Highway No.109 (Old 87) affected by the expansion of Pantnagar Airport. In this meeting, construction of Khatima Ring Road through NH.A.I., widening of Km. 12 to 40 (Barwalakata Patharjudolkhwad Band Division) of NH 507 and widening of Km. 157 to 175 (Dugadda Gumkhal Division) of NH 534 were also agreed upon by the Union Road Transport Minister.
On this occasion, it was also decided that after completing the process of transfer of forest land in the alternate alignment along the boundary of Rajaji National Park of the first part of Rishikesh Bypass (Nepali Farm to Dhalwala) in the next three months, a decision will be taken regarding this project with a total length of 10.88 km and a cost of Rs.1546 crore. It was also decided in the meeting that the process of approving the tender for the construction of the Kedarnath ropeway to be built by the National Highways and Logistics Management Limited will be done in consultation with the Chief Minister and the Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways. The meeting was attended by Shri Ajay Tamta, Union Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways, Shri V. Umashankar, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, Shri Vishal Chauhan, Member (Admin), NHA.I., Shri R.K. Sudhanshu and Shri R. Meenakshi Sundaram, Principal Secretaries to Government of Uttarakhand and Shri Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Secretary. Department of Information and Public Relations