In a bold statement, Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday announced that he would tender his resignation if Package A of National Highway 415, from Chandranagar to Papu Nallah, is not completed by March next year. However, the chief minister said the underpass in Bank Tinali area and the bridges in Chandranagar would take longer time. His announcement naturally drew a lot of public attention. Social media were full of memes with people reminding him about another promise he had made two years ago: to complete blacktopping of certain stretches of NH 415 within six months.
Nevertheless, the announcement of the CM has set the buzz and hopefully the road will be completed by March. Khandu has six months to fulfill his promise. The formation-cutting work is almost complete. However, the construction of retaining walls, drains, bridges and an underpass is yet to be completed. The two bridges in Chandranagar and an underpass in Bank Tinali are still way behind. The contractor has failed to speed up the work of these two particular works. Also, there are several stretches where drains and retaining walls have not been constructed till date. In order to meet the deadline set by CM Khandu, there should not be any compromise with the quality of the work. The people of the capital region have waited long for the completion of the Chandranagar to Papu Nallah stretch of NH 415. The capital deserves a world-class road. The chief minister, besides assuring completion of the project by March next year, should also assure the citizens that there will be no compromise with quality and the capital complex will get a world-class highway.