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The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has given approval for the 20-km-long second phase of the Pathankot-Mandi highway four-lane project between 32 miles and Rajol village in Kangra district. The construction under this phase has been hanging fire for the past one year in the absence of forest clearance as over 7.28 hectare forestland was involved. The NHAI will soon take up construction work. Abdul Basit, Regional Officer of the NHAI, said global bids for the second phase of the project were opened in New Delhi last year. The work worth Rs 678 crore was awarded to Gurugram-based Gawar Construction Company Private Limited. The road construction under the first phase of the project was already in progress.Basit said land had already been acquired for the second phase of the project. The decision of the Centre to grant environment clearance would ensure the early completion of the Rs 8,000-crore highway project, which had been pending since 2017. The company would start the construction work after completing formalities.This 219-km four-lane road is one of the strategic projects linking Pathankot with Leh, Ladakh and other forward areas. Considering defence requirements, the Centre wants to complete it at the earliest.The travel distance between Pathankot and Mandi would reduce from 219 km to 171 km once the road is completed. Last month, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had called on Union Forest and Environment Minister Bhupinder Yadav for the early grant of environment clearance for the project.