New Delhi: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday laid the foundation stone and inaugurated various national highway projects in Himachal Pradesh and said these road projects will ensure prosperity for the people of the state. 'The total outlay of the 222-kilometre long nine road corridors is Rs 6,155 crore,' according to an official statement. The road transport and highway minister promised that road travel time from Delhi to Kullu will be reduced to just seven hours within two years or even before, it said.
According to the statement, Gadkari said works related to the construction of 11 more tunnels in Himachal Pradesh will soon be awarded. The minister said the government has accorded top priority to the Manali-Leh tunnel construction, it added. Gadkari said road construction works with an outlay of around Rs 15 lakh crore are planned this year across the country. He also stressed that the process related to land acquisition and environment clearance needs to be sped up to be able to complete the road construction within time.
The minister also announced to award works related to 491-kilometre-long road construction in Himachal Pradesh with a total cost of Rs 15,000 crore in 2021-22. Gadkari also said that the possibility of a network of ropeway and cable car in Himachal Pradesh may be explored. On the occasion, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur said good-quality roads is the top priority for the state government.
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PTI
