State to get Rs 10,000 crore for roads this year: JP Nadda

Tribune News Service

Mandi, April 25

The Central Government will provide nearly Rs 10,000 crore for the construction and repair of national and state highways and linking of roads in the state, said Union Health Minister JP Nadda while addressing a public meeting here today.

He said Rs 4,800 crore had already been provided for the four-laning of National Highway-21 from Ner Chowk to Manali.

On improving the road network in the state, he said eight national highways were given to the state in the past nearly a year to boost infrastructure and tourism.

Talking about the pathetic condition of the existing NH-21 from Kiratpur to Manali, he said Rs 60 crore had been sanctioned and tenders for its repair and maintenance would be invited soon.

The minister said Rs 610 crore had already been given to the government for the repair of other roads in the state.

On the issue of health services, he said four trauma centres would be set up in the state at Mandi, Hamirpur, Rampur and Tanda at a cost of Rs 50 crore. He sanctioned Rs 5 crore each for the mother-child healthcare centres at Mandi and Sundernagar. He also announced Rs 6.25 crore for two community health centres and Rs 7.50 crore for six primary health centres to be established in the district.

Talking of the newly constructed Rs 700-crore ESIC Medical College and Hospital at Ner Chowk in the district, he said the Centre was yet to receive a proposal from the state and would extend all possible support to the government on the issue.

Nadda said, “Stress should be laid on skill development and religious and health tourism can also be promoted in the state, apart from regular tourism.”

The state could also be converted into an IT and education hub, which would provide immense job opportunities to local people, he said.

On Central schemes, he said under the Jan Dhan Yojna, nearly 14.50 crore bank accounts were opened since the launch of the scheme on August 28, 2014. When banks were nationalised in 1971 by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, nearly 3.25 crore accounts could be opened in the country.

Regarding social security to the poor strata of society, Nadda said the Central Government was mulling launching a pension scheme for street vendors, farmers and other sections of society under which they would get a pension of Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 per month.

On the demand of Mandi MP Ram Swaroop Sharma, Nadda sanctioned Rs 50 lakh for the construction of a Kargil Park in the town. At least 31 soldiers and officers from the state were martyred in the Kargil War.