Congress mocks Delhi-Dehradun expressway inaugural: 'Only foundations, no development'

Scoffing at Delhi-Dehradun Highway's inaugural, ex-Union Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday, lamented that the state has seen 3 CMs but no development. Stating that the inaugural was coming three months, Chidambaram said that only foundation stones and plaques will be installed. Uttarakhand along with Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur will go to polls in February 2022.

Congress: 'Only foundation stones, no devpt'

Delhi-Dehradun passageway

PM Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for a number of projects totaling over Rs 18,000 crore on Saturday in Dehradun including the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor. The Delhi-Dehradun expressway, which would cost around Rs 8,300 crore to construct, will run from the Eastern Peripheral Expressway Junction to Dehradun. This expressway plan will reduce the time from six hours to roughly 2.5 hours while driving from Delhi to Dehradun. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and highway, there are 83 active projects in Uttarakhand for the building of National Highways that are expected to be completed between 2021 and 2023.

The greenfield alignment plan for the Delhi-Dehradun expressway, which would link Halgoa, Saharanpur, and Bhadrabad, Haridwar, would cost around 2,000 crores. It would have the largest wildlife elevated passageway (12 km) in Asia for unrestricted wildlife motion, a 340-meter-long tunnel near DatKaali temple in Dehradun would significantly reduce the effect on wildlife. Multiple animal passes are provided in the Ganeshpur-Dehradun segment to prevent animal-vehicle collisions, stated the statement.

Uttarakhand poll campaign

Eyeing to make inroads into the hilly state, AAP has fielded Col Ajay Singh Kothiyal as its CM face. AAP has also offered  a Tirth Yatra Yojana - offering free trips to Ayodhya’s Ram Temple, Ajmer Sharif and Kartarpur Sahib, 300 units free electricity, waiving off old electricity bills, free electricity for farmers and 24x7 electricity. Kejriwal has also sought a Bharat Ratna for Chipko Movement leader Sunderlal Bahuguna, a resident of Dehradun. Touting Delhi's hospitals and schools, he said that he would build similar world-class amenities in Uttarakhand too.

On the other hand, BJP has seen a major reshuffle with 45-year-old Pushkar Singh Dhami taking over from Tirath Singh Rawat and Trivendra Singh Rawat. Tirath Singh Rawat replaced Trivendra Singh Rawat in March 2021, ten days before the completion of his govt's 4 years, amid resentment among cabinet members. He himself had to resign citing 'constitutional constraints' as he was an MP and bypolls could not be scheduled in time. Congress on the other hand, is consolidating behind ex-CM Harish Rawat.