Even as the State Government continues to accuse the Central Government of bias in Central fund allocation for developmental works, the development of all-weather roads on seven stretches
leading to the Char Dham shrines totalling in length to 889 kilometres has been taken up under the National Highway Connectivity Improvement Programme for Char Dham in Uttarakhand.
Various safety provisions and other features have been incorporated to enhance safety and road users provisions among other aspects estimated to cost about Rs 11,700 crore. While the Central Government focuses on
infrastructural and other developments aimed at
creating road networks and other infrastructure at pilgrimage centres and strategically important areas along the Indo-China border, the Chief Minister Harish Rawat has maintained a proactive stance towards the Central Government for facilitation of developmental works
while at the same time lambasting the Centre for orchestrating imposition of
President’s rule in Uttarakhand and its detrimental effects.
Observers point out that state of execution of the national highway connectivity improvement programme for Char Dham shrines in Uttarakhand is likely to be among the issues which may be exploited politically by the rival parties in the Vidhan Sabha elections slated for 2017.
It should be mentioned here that according to the Congress-led State Government, from the day of imposition of president’s rule in Uttarakhand on March 27 to the time of its revocation on May 11, loss amounting to hundreds of crores of rupees in allocated funds which could not be expended on the intended work within the stipulated time period has impacted various important works.
At the same time, the Chief Minister and other Congress leaders have continued to accuse the BJP-led Central Government of being biased against Uttarakhand especially in allocation of central funds to the State for various important tasks.
According to information provided by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the project will entail the development of all-weather roads leading to the Char Dham shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.
The seven stretches – from Rishikesh to Rudraprayag, Rudraprayag to Mana, Rishikesh to Dharasu, Dharasu to Gangotri, Dharasu to Yamunotri, Rudraprayag to Gaurikund and Tanakpur to Pithoragarh are undergoing the detailed project report stage. Officials state that in order to enhance the safety of road users various provisions including the widening of existing narrow and geometrically deficient National Highways to two-lane carriageway with paved shoulder, protection of landslide hazard zones, construction of bypasses, long bridges, tunnels and elevated corridors will be incorporated in the project.
At present, the projects for those stretches which are substantially free from encumbrances are sanctioned to an amount of Rs 750 crore and tenders are being invited. For the remaining stretches, the sanctioning of projects is linked with progress of land Acquisition and Forest clearances. The time line for land Acquisition/ Forest clearances/ Shifting of utilities/ Award/ Completion of these projects shall be 2016 to 2020, state officials.
Meanwhile, political observers opine that if both the Congress and BJP work for political gains by measures like ensuring timely completion of varied work projects, the State and its people might experience a considerable level of improvement in the road network and income generation from resulting developments if the project is executed scientifically without anomalies like purported corruption and other shortcomings.
The seismically active and environmentally sensitive Himalayan region of Uttarakhand has already sustained considerable damage due to factors like indiscriminate and excessive detonations for construction of
ill-planned motor roads and unsystematic constructions. It remains to be seen whether the State sees the expected development or further damage resulting from road construction compromised by factors like focus on swift construction in view of the 2017 Vidhan Sabha elections, state analysts.