Change 4-lane highway alignment, Centre urged

Members of the Four-lane Sangarsh Samiti in a meeting held at Jogindernagar today urged Minister for Roads and Shipping Transport Nitin Gadkari to review alignment of the four-lane Pathankot-Mandi project.

They urged the minister to get the project designed in a way so that the proposed road could pass through Ahju, Chauntra, Jogindernagar, Galu and Urla towns of Mandi and Kangra districts.

They threatened to resort to ‘protest’ if the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) failed to review its decision. Residents of Jogindernagar, Chauntra, Gumma, Harabhag and Urla participated in the meeting.

Recently the NHAI had initiated a process for the preparation of a fresh project report and also appointed a new consultant.

Three years ago, the NHAI had changed the alignment of a 70-km stretch of the four-lane Pathankot-Mandi project between Paror and Padhar, bypassing important towns like Palampur, Maranda, Baijnath and Chauntra. This has resulted in widespread resentment in the Baijnath and Jogindernagar areas. If the NHAI follows the old DPRs, these towns would be five to six km away from the proposed four-lane road.

Information gathered by The Tribune revealed that under the NHAI’s old proposal, the old highway would not be used, instead new four lanes would be developed five to six km away from the towns. The old decision of the NHAI was the root cause of the widespread resentment in the area. Now, the residents have been demanding that the NHAI should discard the old proposal and use the existing highway for the four-laning while making the new DPR.

Addressing mediapersons at Jogindernagar, Brij Gopal Awasthi, president, Four-lane Sangharsh Samiti, said during a meeting with Gadkari, they told him that the decision to change the alignment of the highway would be a major setback to residents of Jogindernagar, Chauntra, Baijnath and Paprola. Awasthi said the minister had assured them that he would respect the sentiments of people and a new DPR would be prepared accordingly. He said if the existing stretch of the highway was used by the NHAI, it would benefit 2.5 lakh people residing in 39 panchayats. But, if the new alignment was followed it would benefit only people of 10 panchayats, he said.