Kullu: 13-member joint panel formed to improve condition of National Highway-305

Thirty-nine members of various social organisations and associations of the Seraj valley jointly constituted a 13-member committee, along with four advisors, to improve the condition of the Aut-Jalori jot stretch of the national highway (NH-305) in Banjar.

Members of commerce union, taxi union and various tourism development organisations and beneficiaries expressed their concerns on the adverse impacts on their businesses and the region due to the poor condition of the road.

Captain Krishan was nominated as the coordinator of the NH-305 joint committee. He said, “The condition of the road from Aut to Ghiyagi was pathetic. The authorities were unconcerned despite many fatal accidents and frequent long traffic jams that occur due to the narrow road and bottlenecks, especially during the tourist season. The commuters and visitors are a harried lot.” He alleged that various appeals and representations had been made to political leaders, administration and the Public Works Department (PWD), but all in vain.

A senior leader of the area, Indu Patiyal, said no one was accountable for the road and neither the PWD nor the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) were willing to understand the pitiable condition of the road and the plight of masses.

She said, “Officials were passing the buck on state and Central governments for the past many years. The persons responsible for the delay in tarring and further widening of the road as per the NH standards should be brought to book.”

An environmentalist, Guman Singh, said the issue needs to be discussed thoroughly and a concrete design was to be outlined. A tourism beneficiary, Hem Raj, said tourist influx was increasing in the recent years and the NH should be maintained and developed considering the future requirements.

He said, “The status of the road and the proposed Jalori tunnel en route was changing frequently and the job was lingering because of this, besides there was no answerability.”

The Jibhi Valley Tourism Development Association (JVTDA) secretary Lalit Kumar alleged that no maintenance had been carried out on the stretch from Aut to Ghiyagi for the last many years.

He said, “The Aut-Luhri road was declared NH in 2012, but its condition remained worse than a link road. Temporary mud patching is done occasionally and its pitiable condition has taken many lives.”