Coordination panel to expedite road projects in Punjab

The state chief secretary gave the direction while presiding over a meeting held with NHAI chairman Sukhbir Singh Sandhu to discuss the status of various NHAI projects in the state

Punjab chief secretary Karan Avtar Singh on Tuesday issued orders for constitution of a coordination committee of senior officers for early resolution to expedite the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) projects in the state.

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The chief secretary gave the direction while presiding over a meeting held with NHAI chairman Sukhbir Singh Sandhu to discuss the status of various NHAI projects in the state. Referring to the connectivity of new alignment to Amritsar from Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, the chief secretary was informed that concerted efforts are being made to award this project by October-November.

Officials said that Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala and Amritsar would be connected by both Delhi-Katra Expressway and Amritsar-Jamnagar Expressway. A study was being conducted by NHAI to make the existing 4-lane National Highways interconnecting these cities signal free, they added.

During the meeting, alignments of 12 new upcoming projects in the state, including decongestion of Zirakpur, were also discussed. The NHAI officials also requested the state government to accelerate pre-construction activities such as land acquisition, forest clearance, wildlife clearance, etc. to facilitate early sanction of projects from ministry of road transport and highways. The new projects are Moga-Bajakhana, Bathinda-Mandi Dabwali, Amritsar-Una, Amritsar-Ramdas, Malout-Abohar-Sadhuwali, Kharar-Banur-Tepla, Amritsar Bypass, Bathinda Bypass, Zirakpur Bypass-Ambala-Panchkula, Elevated structure from Chhatt Junction to Singhpura chowk, Phagwara-Hoshiarpur and Malout-Dabwali.