PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The Chief secretary Anand Bardhan has directed the officers that all the National Highway projects should be regularly monitored at various levels to expedite their progress. He gave the order during a review meeting on the progress of ongoing NH projects in the state at the Secretariat on Friday.
In the meeting, he expressed deep displeasure over the slow progress of the projects. Expressing annoyance over the fact that the proposal for the construction of the Pithoragarh-Bageshwar NH 309 A, approved in 2022-23, has not yet been submitted to the government of India. He ordered that the responsibility for the negligence should be fixed. He also directed that the executive engineer be given a special adverse entry for negligence in uploading data for forest and wildlife clearances for the construction of the Kathgodam-Nainital NH approved in March 2024.
He directed that review meetings of pending projects, chaired by the district magistrates, be held regularly. The CS also directed that all departments should highlight their problems and issues. In the meeting the CS expressed displeasure over the delay in tree cutting and felling procedures for various road construction projects and directed that the process be initiated by December 31. He also directed the ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to maintain regular contact and follow up on projects.
He also inquired about the progress of NHAI’s Kotdwar bypass, Jhajhra-Asharodi, Haridwar-Najibabad and Dehradun-Delhi Expressway. He directed that all projects be expedited and completed within the stipulated time.
Principal secretary RK Sudhanshu, secretary Pankaj Kumar Pandey, C Ravi Shankar, additional secretary Vineet Kumar and PCCF SP Subudhi along with other senior officers were present on the occasion.
