Rs 86 crore sanctioned for bridge; to benefit over 200 panchayats
With the Union Ministry for Road Transport and Highways sanctioning Rs 86.34 crore for the construction of a bridge over Gaj khud, it is nothing short of a dream come true for people of the Nagrota Surian area of the Jawali Assembly constituency.
Besides reducing the distance between Nagrota Surian and Jawali by 10 km, it would also give a boost to tourism in the region set along the picturesque Pong Dam lake.
Once complete, the bridge would benefit people of over 200 panchayats in the Dehra and Jawali Assembly constituencies. Presently, the people have no choice but to use the age-old road that is in a poor condition.
After the construction of the bridge from the funds sanctioned under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CIRF), the distance between Jawali and Nagrota Surian would be reduced from 25 km to 16 km. The proposed bridge would be 828 metre long with 23 spans.
Kangra MP Rajeev Bhardwaj has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for granting the approval.
“The construction of the bridge over Gaj khud will prove a milestone in the development of the region that has remained neglected for a long time. The road along the Pong lake will play an important role in developing tourism activities in the area,” he added.
The foundation stone of the bridge was laid in 2015 by the then Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to connect the Ghar Jarot-Bajhera road adjacent to the Pong lake to Nagrota Surian. However, the work could not begin for want of funds.State Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar who represents the constituency tried hard for a long time to get funds approved for the project.
