Pathania Seeks National Highway Status for Key Chamba-Pangi Route, Pushes for Chuwari Tunnel
Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania has urged Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari to grant National Highway status to the entire Draman-Sinhuta-Chuwari-Chamba-Tissa-Pangi corridor, stressing its importance for defence, regional connectivity and tourism.
Pathania met Gadkari at his official residence in New Delhi and submitted a formal proposal seeking the inclusion of the complete route in the National Highway network. He said upgrading only selected stretches would not fully address the connectivity and strategic needs of the region.
Highlighting the road’s defence significance, Pathania said the route could support the movement of troops and military equipment from the Army’s divisional headquarters at Yol Cantonment near Dharamshala towards sensitive border areas during an emergency.
Push to Include Entire Route
Pathania pointed out that the Chamba-Tissa-Bairagarh-Sach stretch is already under consideration by the Centre for development through the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF). He, however, sought the extension of the proposal to cover Draman-Sinhuta-Chuwari-Chamba via Jot, creating a broader corridor linking Shahpur/Draman with the remote Pangi region.
He said the Shahpur/Draman-Sinhuta-Chuwari-Chamba road via Jot has already been widened with assistance from the World Bank and the Central Road Fund, with a large part of it developed as a double-lane road.
According to Pathania, he has raised the issue with Gadkari on several occasions and received assurances that the proposal would be considered in the public interest.
Gadkari informed him that the Centre is in the final stages of framing a policy for declaring new National Highways and assured him that the proposal would be considered once the new guidelines are finalised.
Chuwari-Chamba Tunnel Also Proposed
Pathania also pressed for the construction of a tunnel between Chuwari and Chamba, which could significantly improve all-weather connectivity and reduce travel time in the mountainous district.
He said better road and tunnel connectivity would make travel easier for local residents, tourists and security personnel, particularly those travelling from Gaggal Airport towards Chamba and Pangi.
The proposed corridor could be especially important for remote Pangi, where difficult terrain continues to pose connectivity challenges. Improved access could also give a boost to tourism in Chamba and surrounding areas.
For now, however, National Highway status for the route will depend on the Centre’s new policy guidelines and subsequent approval.
What I changed: I tightened repetitive sections, brought the National Highway and tunnel demands to the forefront, and made the language more natural and publication-ready while retaining the key strategic, connectivity and tourism angles.