NHAI cancels Amritsar bypass project due to land acquisition issues

Chandigarh: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has scrapped the proposed bypass link road under the Bharat Mala project due to the failure to acquire land.

The bypass, planned from Dhunda village to Manawala at a cost of Rs 171 crore, was intended to connect Amritsar to the Delhi-Katra Expressway. However, the project stalled as the required land could not be secured.

Congress MP from Amritsar, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, criticized the Punjab government over the cancellation, calling it a major failure that would negatively impact the state’s development and trade.

He pointed out that while land had been acquired for the expressway in Goindwal Sahib and Haryana, the Punjab government failed to do the same.

Aujla alleged that the state government did not engage with farmers to resolve the issue, whereas Haryana completed its land acquisition.

He said the bypass could have boosted trade in the border region, opening opportunities for Amritsar with Pakistan and Arab countries.