Chinese company to widen roads in Himachal Pradesh

    By IANS,

    Shimla : Chinese road and bridge construction company Longjivan has been sanctioned a multi-million-rupee road construction project in Himachal Pradesh, the government said here Monday.


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    The Rs.2.28-billion (Rs.228-crore) project, funded by the World Bank, involves widening and renovating the Theog-Kotkhai-Hatkoti-Rohru stretch in Shimla district.

    “The aim of the state government is to strengthen the apple belt in remote areas of Shimla district,” Horticulture Minister Narender Bragta told IANS.

    He said the road would be widened up to 9.4 metres by 2011, and that the contract was awarded through international bidding.

    “The strengthening of the road network will help apple growers to transport their crop,” Bragta said.

    The hill state has limited rail connections, no waterway and only three small domestic airports, forcing it to rely exclusively on its road network for transporting people and materials.

    Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal last month opened a 170-km motorable road connecting Pangi Valley with Chamba town.

    The World Bank has already approved a loan of $220 million for strengthening the state’s core road network.

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