BJP launches 7-day padyatra from Rohroo to Shimla

Himachal Pradesh BJP today launched a seven-day padyatra (foot-march) from Rohroo to Shimla to protest the delay in completion of Theog-Hatkoti road and "failure" of the Congress government to fulfil its poll promise to complete the road within 100 days of coming to power.

The padyatra was launched from Rohroo by state BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti, who was accompanied by former state minister Narinder Bragata. Before embarking of the yatra, Satti and Bragata lambasted the chief minister for neglecting the development of the area in spite of being an MLA from Rohroo for 15 years.

Bragata said the tender for the project was awarded by the Congress government in 2007 but it neither took any step to acquire the land for widening of the road nor sought 'no- objection certificate' for major portion of the road.

"It was the BJP government that obtained 87 per cent clearances from forest department and acquired the land from private owners after it was voted to power in 2007 but till the time the clearances were taken, the Visa of Chinese company ended and the UPA-II refused to extend the Visa and as a result the work stopped in the middle.

He said that in 2013, the project was re-tendered and bifurcated in two parts -- Theog-Kotkhai-Kharapathar (48 km) and Kharapathar-Hatkoti-Rohru (32 km) -- but still there is no visible progress on the 80-km stretch.

The BJP leaders claimed that besides Pradhans and Up-pradhans of 48 out of 59 panchayats, people from all walks of life have supported the padyatra. However, Congress dubbed the yatra as a political gimmick.