Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has said that with the State being progressive, the Union Government is taking up road development projects under tourism and industrial development packages to further boost progress.
He was addressing a public gathering at Gabbur Truck Terminal on the outskirts of Hubballi on Monday after laying foundation stones for and dedicating to the nation 26 National Highway projects of a total length of 925 km with an investment of ₹12,795 crore.
In the programme attended by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and A. Narayanaswamy, Ministers C.C. Patil and B. Sriramulu, the former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and others, Mr. Gadkari also announced in-principle approval for various other projects and asked the Chief Minister to send detailed proposals at the earliest.
Lauding the initiative taken by Mr. Joshi in finding a solution for the complicated Hubballi-Dharwad Bypass Road widening project, he said that the six-lane bypass road with four-lane service roads is a crucial project as it is an accident-prone area. “The six-lane bypass road will enhance seamless traffic between Pune and Bengaluru,” he said.
The Union Minister, who carried with him a list of various demands and also showing the status of projects, announced in-principle approval for several of them and promised immediate sanction for other projects.
Elaborating on the various hurdles in getting the bypass road widening sanctioned, Mr. Joshi recalled the role played by Mr. Shettar and Mr. Bommai in getting some of them cleared. The 31-km-long bypass road will now be developed into a six-lane plus four-lane service road at an estimated cost of ₹1,050 crore.
“After the completion of the project, motorists commuting to places within Hubballi-Dharwad will not have to pay any toll. While people have sought for a four-lane bypass, Mr. Gadkari has sanctioned a six-lane bypass,” he said, thanking his colleague.
Mr. Kharge commended Mr. Gadkari for his pro-development initiatives, which, he said, rose above petty politics. Recalling his own experience pertaining to a project, he hoped that Mr. Gadkari will sanction projects pertaining to the State on a priority basis. He also urged Mr. Gadkari to consider linking all district highways to the national highway network.
Mr. Bommai presented a list of various projects which he wanted the Union Minister to consider on a priority basis. He said that the State Government will give GST exemption on steel and cement for highway projects and hoped that the development projects will help North Karnataka in particular.
Mr. Narayanaswamy and Mr. C.C. Patil spoke. District in-charge Minister Halappa Achar, MPs Sanganna Karadi and Shivakumar Udasi, MLAs Prasad Abbayya, Arvind Bellad, Amrut Desai, C.M. Nimbannavar, MLCs Pradeep Shettar and S.V. Sankanru and others were present.
