The Kandi road once operational has a potential to become as a lifeline of Uttarakhand and our government is committed that all obstructions in its way are removed, said Cabinet Minister Harak Singh Rawat while talking to The Pioneer shortly after taking oath as member of legislative assembly at Vidhan- Sabha on Tuesday. He said that the distance between Ramnagar in Kumaon and Kotdwar would be reduced by half once this road is constructed. At present the vehicles from Kotdwar have to cover a distance of 162 KM to reach Ramnagar but on Kandi road this distance is only 88 KM. The Kandi road passes through thickly forested area of Corbett National Park. Rawat said that the government would work to clear environmental and other legal hindrances for this road and claimed that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has assured that the road would be made a National Highway (NH). He said that similarly the laldhang- Chilarkhal road would also be completed soon for the benefit of the people.
Harak Singh Rawat said that all work on the Kotdwar medical college would be expedited. He said that a large population residing in Kotdwar and mountainous area of Garhwal would be immensely benefitted by this medical college and its associated hospital. On the question of Gairsain, Harak Singh Rawat said that he still stands firm on his old stance that one should not do politics on the issue. The cabinet minister who was one of the leaders who rebelled against Harish Rawat last year said that one of the major tasks of the new government would be to root out corruption and develop robust work culture. “If we (ministers) follow a work schedule of 18 hours in a day than every one including the bureaucracy would come in action mode. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set up an example in front of all of us,’’ he said. Refuting the Congress allegation that the amount of fund recently released for all weather roads and Namami Gange Mission reflects Centre's negative bias, he said that when the prime minister Narendra Modi had made the announcement, he had cleared the government order for fund release.