Shimla, Aug 27,
The Himachal Pradesh Government announced today that a committee will be formed under the leadership of the concerned Deputy Commissioner to address the issues faced by people in the Dharampur assembly constituency, following recent heavy rainfall on the Sundernagar to Manali National Highway (NH-3).
Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh made this statement in the state assembly, highlighting the challenges caused by the heavy rainfall. He expressed concern over the lack of action from the Centre, specifically targeting Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut for not raising the issue with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in Parliament. Singh criticized the MP for being more engaged in unrelated matters rather than addressing the dire situation in her constituency.
The Minister informed the assembly that he had previously discussed similar concerns raised by Congress member Chandershekhar, and assured that he had communicated with contractors and the NHAI about the substandard work and materials used in highway construction. The Minister attributed the extensive damage to highways and link roads this year to the poor quality of construction, exacerbated by the heavy rainfall.
Singh further stated that 55 houses near the highway have become vulnerable, with 48 identified for relocation to safer areas. The affected families have been provided with tarpaulin sheets and blankets to aid in their temporary relocation. He emphasized that this matter requires the immediate attention of the Government of India.
Deputy Commissioners of Kullu, Mandi, and Bilaspur have been instructed to take up the issue with NHAI. The committee, once constituted, will include officers from the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) department and other relevant departments, with the findings to be presented in the ongoing assembly session.
Earlier, Congress member Chandershekhar criticized the construction company Gawar for the poor condition of houses and roads, forcing buses to take a 45 km detour via Sarkaghat.
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