Kiratpur-Manali road widening set to miss another deadline; cost escalates
MANDI: Running two years behind schedule, competition of four laning on the Kiratpur-Manali highway, earlier known as Chandigarh-Manali highway, seems a distant dream with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) shifting the date to December.
Officials claim that cost of construction has increased double fold to over ₹3,000 crores which has affected the pace of work. They add that digging and widening work of NH-21 was given to civil contractors but due to no or delay in payment form the construction company, the work is stopped. The sluggish pace of work in the four laning of NH-21 from Kiratpur to Manali, approximately 234 kms, is likely to prove harmful for the tourism industry of the state. The project will provide all-weather connectivity to tourist destinations — Mandi, Kullu, Manali, Leh along the Indian-China border.
DELAY IN PAYMENT
Contractors’ Welfare Association state president Dinesh Kumar claims that more than 50 civil contractors were working on the project.
“Repeated delays in payment force us to stop construction which is the reason behind the slow pace of work,” he alleges.
The project also faced protest from locals over the issue of justifiable compensation for the land and properties of the locals acquired by the NHAI for the purpose.
Locals have been protesting since April 2015, demanding implementation of the Land Acquisition Act 2013 provisions of compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement, but their demands haven’t been fulfilled yet.
Despite several attempts, NHAI project director Yogesh Chandra could not be contacted for a comment on the same.
THREATS OF PROTESTS
Concerned over the delay, Kullu MLA Sunder Singh Thakur with hoteliers of Kullu and Manali and public had in October threatened a protest if the government fails to take up the matter with the Centre.
“Delay on the project will be harmful for the tourism industry. Agriculture and horticulture produces of the hill state and residents of Mandi and Kullu dis- tricts are also feeling the pinch,” he had said.
He claimed that the slow pace of four laning was affecting the tourism industry and said, “Kullu district is facing poor air connectivity which is a major hindrance to attract high-end tourists to Manali.”
Anup Thakur, president of the Hoteliers’ Association KulluManali, said they had written to Union minister Nitin Gadkari and urged him to take necessary steps for completion of the project but “nothing seems to happen”.
THE PROJECT
As part of the project, being executed in Public Private Partnership mode by the Centre in 2012 at an approximate cost of ₹1,818 crores, five tunnels, 17 major and 28 minor bridges were to be constructed between the KirtpurManali stretch.
The four laning will reduced distance from Kiratpur to Manali by 38 km and Mandi by 47 km, that will not only benefit residents but also improve transportation of arm, ammunition and ration supply of the Army to Leh.