Baddi industrial belt to have better connectivity

Ambika Sharma

Solan, September 1

In a bid to strengthen connectivity of the state’s industrial hub of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) with the neighbouring states, an inter-state meeting was held by Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena with his counterparts of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh yesterday.

Saxena deliberated upon various significant issues with Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal and Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma.

Inter-state issues

Various inter-state issues were deliberated upon in this meeting. It will help improve the connectivity of this key industrial belt with the neighbouring states

Lalit Jain, CEO, BBN development authority

An agreement to share 50 per cent of the cost of repairing the Dhabota bridge connecting Nalagarh with Punjab was arrived at between the officials of the two states. Earlier Himachal had borne 15 per cent of the cost and the remaining 85 per cent had been borne by Punjab to construct the bridge.

With the Balad bridge connecting Baddi-Haryana having been damaged, Marrawala-Barotiwala road was bearing the brunt of entire vehicular traffic flowing into the BBN industrial belt.

Saxena pressed the need to repair this road which lies in Haryana as it caters to the industries in the BBN area that transports raw material and finished goods by this route.

While an unmetalled road was already being laid from Sheetalpur in Baddi to Nava Nagar in Haryana, a metalled road would also be laid to facilitate the commuters. A two-km patch of this road lies in Haryana.

Talks were also held for regular repair and maintenance of another arterial route extending from Guru Gorakhnath temple to Jharmajri-Shahpur which was a rural road falling in Haryana.

Strengthening and undertaking speedy repair of another road- Khuda Lahora-Premnagar-Kona as well as Kalujhinda in BBN to Kalka-falling in Haryana was also discussed in the meeting.

The officials from Haryana informed that several road works were in the tendering stage and they assured to address the concerns of Himachal.

Sanjeev Kaushal assured Saxena of taking requisite steps on the issues discussed in the meeting.

Talks on carving out another arterial route from Khuda Lahora-Kona on the Pinjore-Baddi National Highway 105 falling in Punjab were also held with Anurag Verma. This will provide a shorter route to the commuters travelling from Baddi to Chandigarh.

The widening of the Siswan-Nava Nagar road falling in Punjab and constructing a new road from Sheetalpur in Baddi to Mirzapur in Punjab were also discussed. Anuraj Verma assured Saxena of a positive outcome in the issues discussed in the meeting.