As repeated landslides on National Highway-5 continue to disrupt traffic and affect connectivity to Kinnaur district, Himachal has sought Centre’s help for constructing alternative route to connect remote regions along China border .
“This route should be built from Rampur to Wangtu on the right bank of the Sutlej river. Since the hill on the right bank is more stable, there will be no possibility of landslides, which will benefit the locals and the army,” tribal development minister Jagat Singh Negi said on Friday.
While addressing media in Shimla, Negi highlighted the strategic importance of this proposed route to connect forward regions along the China border in Kinnaur district.
He demanded that chief minister Sukhvinder Singh, central government and the army create an alternative route.
HP slashes firewood rate to ₹805 per quintal
The minister said that the state government has decided to provide firewood to people in tribal areas at ₹805 per quintal.
Negi said that in winter, people of tribal areas depend on firewood for heating and cooking and the forest corporation had increased the price of fuel wood from ₹1300 to ₹1400 per quintal.
{{/usCountry}}Negi said that in winter, people of tribal areas depend on firewood for heating and cooking and the forest corporation had increased the price of fuel wood from ₹1300 to ₹1400 per quintal.
{{/usCountry}}This had caused anger among the people in the tribal areas and in view of their problems, the chief minister has decided to provide firewood at concessional prices in the tribal areas.
The minister said that there will be two-day courts in December to settle the pending death cases in the state. In two-day land mutation courts held in October, 30,000 cases were disposed of and 10,000 were pending.