Himachal Pradesh government has written to the ministry of defence to consider its demand for reinstalling the black marble foundation plaque of Atal Tunnel laid by Sonia Gandhi in 2010, who was then chairperson of the national advisory council.
She laid the foundation for the tunnel on June 28, 2010, at Dhundhi, 15 kilometres uphill from the tourist town of Manali.
Lahaul and Spiti legislator Ravi Thakur had raised the issue with chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu soon after he assumed office. The chief minister’s office then directed the Kullu deputy commissioner (DC) to take up the concern with the Border Road Organisation (BRO), which had constructed the 9.02-kilometre tunnel and is responsible for its maintenance.
The DC then wrote to the BRO to reinstall the plaque, which was removed when the work on the tunnel began. Officers of the local administration have also finalised the site for reinstalling the plaque.
However, the BRO refused to do so, citing that it requires orders from the ministry of defence. “The civil administration had taken up the matter with the BRO. We have now raised the issue with the central government,” said chief secretary RD Dhiman.
The Congress had also flagged the issue with the Jai Ram Thakur-led BJP government. The then Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kuldeep Rathore had written a letter to Jai Ram in October 2020, mentioning that Sonia laid the foundation stone in 2010 in presence of the then chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, Union minister Virbhadra Singh, and defence minister AK Antony.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress had also flagged the issue with the Jai Ram Thakur-led BJP government. The then Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kuldeep Rathore had written a letter to Jai Ram in October 2020, mentioning that Sonia laid the foundation stone in 2010 in presence of the then chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, Union minister Virbhadra Singh, and defence minister AK Antony.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress’ local units of Lahaul and Spiti and Manali had even registered two separate FIRs in this regard as well.
The police had issued a clarification after the Himachal Congress alleged that the foundation stone laid by Sonia for the tunnel over a decade ago was removed before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 3, 2020.
The BRO had also clarified that to prevent damage, the plaque was kept at a safe place.
Vajpayee, after whom the tunnel has been named, had announced the project during a public meeting at Lahaul and Spiti’s Keylong in June 2000. He had laid the foundation stone for the approach road from the south portal to Dhundhi in 2002.