Centre grants Rs 20 crore more for Mandi-Kullu roads: Vikramaditya Singh

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh on Thursday said leaders should rise above party politics and work for the development of the state and cited a AB Vajpayee anecdote to make his case.

Singh, who celebrated his birthday with workers at the Congress office in Shimla, told reporters, "I have been informed that the state is getting about Rs 20 crore more from the Centre for roads."

The Public Works Minister said the state government has tried to prioritise welfare of the state at the top and sought assistance from the Union government for it.

Singh shared an anecdote from the time when his father and Congress leader Virbhadra Singh was the chief minister in Himachal in 2003 and BJP leader A B Vajpayee was the prime minister.

"Vajpayee once said that he does not share the ideology of Virbhadra Singh ji but said 'he is my personal friend' and gave Rs 500 crore to Himachal," the PWD minister said.

"What I mean to say is that we should rise above petty politics and work for the development of the state," he said.

Singh, later in a statement, said the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has approved Rs. 21.05 crore for the improvement, strengthening and restoration of Chail Chowk-Gohar-Pandoh and Mandi-Kamand-Kataula-Bajaura roads.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has approved Rs. 9.16 crore for Chail Chowk-Gohar-Pandoh and Rs. 11.89 crore for Mandi-Kamand-Kataula-Bajaura, he said.

Singh said that during his previous visit to Delhi, he had apprised Union minister Nitin Gadkari about the need to improve the highways and demanded adequate funds.

Since the Chail Chowk-Pandoh road is often blocked during the monsoon, the Mandi-Bajaura road will be an alternative route benefiting local people and tourists as well, the minister said.

He thanked the Union minister for providing adequate funds for the roads.