Himachal: Credit war over construction of Atal Tunnel erupts again

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[google-translator]

With the political parties gearing up for the Himachal assembly elections, a ‘credit war’ has once again erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress over the construction of a tunnel beneath the 13,058ft high Rohtang Pass.

The Congress has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misleading the country over the construction of the Rohtang tunnel, which was later rechristened as Atal Tunnel. HP Congress chief Pratibha Singh in a statement said that the BJP was wrongly taking credit for the construction of the tunnel built at an estimated cost of 3,200 crore. She urged the government to restore the foundation plaque laid by Sonia Gandhi.

“PM Modi is making an unsuccessful attempt to mislead the people of the country. Sonia Gandhi laid the foundation stone of the tunnel on June 23, 2010,” she said, adding that it was unfortunate that the names of leaders like Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, who played important role in the construction of this tunnel, were not even being referred.

“By removing the foundation stone laid by Sonia Gandhi, the BJP government at the Centre and the state has shown its petty mentality. People living in the tribal area of Lahaul and Spiti as well as the entire state are well aware of this fact,” she added. The Congress also released the pictures of Sonia Gandhi’s foundation stone with former chief ministers Virbhadra Singh and Prem Kumar Dhumal also visible.

“The government should restore the foundation stone at the same place so that the country can get the true facts about the history of this tunnel and its construction,” Pratibha said, adding that if the government does not restore the plaque, then the Congress will do it when it forms the government.

Meanwhile, the BJP refuted the charges of taking the entire credit for the tunnel construction. “The entire world knows that the work on the tunnel started after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed power,” said urban development minister Suresh Bhardwaj.

“The work on the tunnel was initiated during the NDA regime and the credit for the work will go to the central government that released funds for the construction of the tunnel,” he added.

A similar war of credit had erupted ahead of Mandi Lok Sabha bypoll when the Congress threatened to launch an agitation. However, after repeated statements by the then PCC chief Kuldeep Rathore, Kullu police had said that the plaque was in the safe custody of the agency that executed the work. Lahaul and Spiti Congress committee had even filed a complaint with the police.

The police had issued the clarification after the state Congress alleged that the foundation stone laid by Sonia Gandhi for the tunnel over a decade ago had been removed before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 3, 2020.

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, after whom the tunnel has been named, had announced the project during a public meeting at Lahaul and Spiti’s Keylong in June 2000. Vajpayee had laid the foundation stone for an approach road to the tunnel in 2002.


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