Chandigarh, May 22:
The long-awaited work of four-laning of Patiala-Sirhind road is progressing at a fast pace with the efforts of the Punjab government led by Bhagwant Singh Mann.
Providing more details, Punjab Public Works Department Minister S. Harbhajan Singh ETO disclosed that this project was announced by the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann during the Vyapar Milni at Patiala last year and includes a steel bridge over the Bhakra Main Line near village Sidhuwal and the widening of the existing road to a four-lane configuration.
The Cabinet Minister informed that so far, 25% of the total work has been accomplished, with Rs.32 crore already spent. The steel bridge near village Sidhuwal has been constructed and is now operational for traffic. The construction is progressing expeditiously and is scheduled for completion by March 31, 2026.
He said that the four-laning of this road will also eliminate 12 identified accident-prone zones, thereby substantially enhancing road safety and potentially preventing numerous fatalities.
He said that the completion of this Rs.119.6-crore project, including the newly constructed steel bridge over the Bhakra canal, represents a pivotal milestone toward alleviating traffic congestion, improving safety standards, facilitating trade and commerce and strengthening regional connectivity.
He informed that administrative approval for the project was issued by the previous government on December 9, 2021 at an estimated cost of Rs.119.6 crore and the work was allocated precipitately during the previous government due to the then-impending Assembly elections, without securing statutory clearances from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and with pending utility relocation. Consequently, the work could not commence and the contractor began raising contractual disputes. The public was thus deprived of a secure, four-lane transportation facility. As a result, the contract awarded in January 2022 had to be terminated.
The Cabinet Minister categorically said, under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, the requisite clearances were expedited and the project was re-allotted only after obtaining all mandatory approvals to ensure seamless execution. A total of 22.59 hectares of forest land along the Right of Way (ROW) was acquired and in compensation, the Forest Department, Punjab, is developing 45.18 hectares of forest land elsewhere in the state.
In lieu of 7392 trees, 1733 under-girth poles and 5730 plants that required removal for the project, the Forest Department is undertaking the plantation of 60106 saplings under compensatory and additional compensatory afforestation initiatives, he added.
The Minister said that departmental officers have been instructed to rigorously adhere to project timelines, maintain exemplary quality standards and ensure prompt execution.
