Chandigarh, Aug. 4 -- The state's road construction projects have fallen behind schedule due to a shortage of bitumen, agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian told the House on Monday.

Replying to a question from Ghanour MLA Gurlal Singh on the condition of link roads in his constituency, Khudian said that 13 link roads are being constructed in the border adjoining Haryana.

"The supply of bitumen has been affected due to the US-Iran conflict, disrupting movement of key raw materials used for road construction," he said. Mandi Board, which functions under the agriculture department, is executing the rural roads project.

Replying to a separate question from Jalalabad MLA Jagdeep Singh Goldy, revenue minister Hardip Singh Mundian said ...