The State’s Forest and Wildlife minister Harak Singh Rawat has directed the officials concerned to submit on Tuesday a clear report on the Laldhang-Chillarkhal motor road construction which has been stalled for some time. This would enable the state administration to order resumption of work on this road. He said this during a meeting with senior officials of the state administration and forest department on Monday.

He said that the State Government considers the construction of this motor road as an important project. This road will not only reduce travelling time between Garhwal and Kumaon but also boost employment through development of smaller enterprises. By easing access to Corbett national park, it will also boost tourism. Rawat said that the government is committed to ensure that this road is constructed in accordance with legal provisions. In the 4.5 kilometre stretch under the forest department, the Public Works Department will be the executing agency.

Since 60 per cent of the work on bridges has been completed, all the work should be completed before the onset of the monsoon to optimise the benefit to the public and government. Talking to media persons after the meeting, Rawat said that the divisional forest officer had not properly understood the regulations of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and had recommended stopping work on the road after which the state administration had ordered a stop. However, neither the NTCA nor the National Green Tribunal have ordered a stop on the construction of this road.

It will be recalled that the stop of work on the construction of this road had recently elicited an angry response from the minister who had criticised the additional chief secretary Om Prakash and the DFO for this decision. Meanwhile, sources informed that a team from NTCA also reached the State on Monday regarding this issue.