Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur Tuesday hailed the Supreme Court verdict that cleared the way for the execution of 605 projects spread over a total of 685.58 hectares, which were awaiting clearance for past several years.

Thakur said the apex court, through order dated February 15, has cleared the way for implementing 138 projects for which approval has been given by the Centre under Forest Conservation Act (FCA) and also permitted to execute 465 projects under the Forest Rights Act (FRA). The cleared projects include the Rs 1,337-crore Green Corridor National Highway in Sirmaur and Rs 61.48-crore two-lane National Highway 20-A in Dharamsala sanctioned by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

The Chief Minister said that the apex court on Monday granted clearances under the FCA to 138 projects, including 20 of hydroelectricity, 88 of roads, five of drinking water, three of bus stands, and two each of degree colleges, treasury office buildings and sewerage treatment plants, and one each of IIT Kamand, school, car parking, sub-market yard, police post, Gau Sadan, Manali ropeway, helipad, Shiv Dham Mandi and bridge.

– Stay updated with the latest Pune news. Follow Express Pune on Twitter here and on Facebook here. You can also join our Express Pune Telegram channel here.

The 465 projects cleared under the FRA include 334 of roads, 53 of schools, 20 of community centres, 18 of drinking water supply and water pipelines, 13 tank and other minor water bodies, 10 dispensaries or hospitals, seven anganwadis, six skill upgradation or vocational training centres, and one each fair price shop, electric and telephone line, minor irrigation channel and water or raining water harvesting structure.

These projects were held up for long as authorities could not move forward due to apex court directions dated March 11, 2019.