Congress President Sonia Gandhi laid the foundation stone for the Rohtang tunnel project in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, on June 28, 2010.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi laid the foundation stone for the Rohtang tunnel project in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, on June 28, 2010.The Rohtang tunnel drilling through the Himalayan ranges began in Manali to facilitate the laying down of an alternative all-weather road route. The then Defence Minister AK Antony, Himachal Pradesh former Chief Minister PK Dhumal, and the then Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh were present. Sonia unveiled a plaque signaling the inauguration of the drilling as priests chanted hymns. She said that the tunnel's construction was a dream of the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
In 2019, the Union Cabinet decided to name the tunnel as ‘Atal Tunnel’ to honor Vajpayee for his contributions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on October 3, 2020, inaugurated the Atal Tunnel at Rohtang at an altitude of above 3,000 meters in Himachal Pradesh. He said the tunnel would provide new strength to the country’s border infrastructure.
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