Shimla, Nov. 7 -- A total of 294 road-related proposals, covering a cumulative length ranging from 50 to 140 km, have been approved in principle by the Union government for Himachal Pradesh, said the state's Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh on Thursday. Addressing a press conference, Singh said, "The new approvals particularly benefit remote, inaccessible, and tribal regions like Kinnaur, Bharmour, Chamba, and upper Shimla areas. This will strengthen the rural economy and benefit thousands of people living in difficult terrains." He said the sanctioned package includes roads connecting habitations of at least 250 people, and that the state successfully argued for state-specific conditions during the meeting with Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, including the inclusion of old roads from PMGSY-I for re-tarring and upgradation. The Minister detailed the district-wise distribution of projects which includes 97 roads in Shimla, 65 in Chamba, 65 in Kullu, 23 in Mandi, 8 in Kinnaur, 2 in Lahaul-Spiti, 12 in Kangra, 11 in Sirmaur, 3 in Solan and 2 in Una. Singh said the state would begin the tendering process immediately after formal intimation from the Centre and target timely completion within the stipulated period. Sharing about the losses suffered by PWD, Vikramaditya said the Public Works Department (PWD) suffered losses of nearly Rs.4,000 crore this fiscal year due to heavy monsoon damage in Mandi, Kullu, Chamba, and Shimla. "Despite the massive destruction, our teams have been working tirelessly on restoration works. Around Rs.19 crore has been sanctioned recently for maintenance and patchwork," he said. He added that the state received Rs.1,499 crore under Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) for monsoon damages, with Rs.370 crore already released, and tenders floated for restoration of retaining walls, culverts, and cutting works. "At one point, over 1,700 roads were closed in the state. We have managed to open almost all, but about 50 roads remain partially closed to heavy vehicles. Our aim is to make all routes fully functional soon," Singh noted. Acknowledging reports of poor quality in road tarring, the Minister said, "A committee headed by the department secretary has been constituted to investigate. We have sought reports from all districts within a week. Wherever substandard work is found, strict action will be taken against officials." He added, "We need development, but not at the cost of the environment. Illegal dumping of debris will not be tolerated. Strict action will be taken against officers who violate these norms." Singh also mentioned that construction along riverbanks and nullahs has been banned under Town and Country Planning rules, following lessons from recent floods. "We are moving from post-disaster response to pre-disaster prevention. The government has decided to strictly regulate construction along water bodies," he said. Urging the public and local representatives, including MLAs, Zila Parishad and Panchayat members, to voluntarily donate land for road construction to expand the state's rural network, Singh said, "Wherever land is available, we will construct roads immediately. But no road will be built without landowners' consent or affidavits. People's cooperation can help us increase the number of sanctioned roads from 294 to over 500." Under PMGSY-III, Himachal Pradesh earlier received approval for 299 roads covering 3,123 km, with Rs.1,350 crore already spent. Of these, 441 roads totaling 1,167 km have been completed. Responding to concerns over pending payments, Singh said "There are delays, I admit, but it's not true that no payments have been made. We are facing constraints, but efforts are on to clear dues at the earliest."...