Even as the collection of toll on the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway began at Gananguru in Srirangapatna on Saturday amidst protests by locals and Kannada organisations, Home Minister G. Parameshwar and Agriculture Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy came down against the Centre for National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) incomplete work of the highway.
Mr. Parameshwar and Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy, while speaking to reporters in Mysuru separately, expressed their disapproval of the NHAI’s decision to ignore the appeals for putting off collection of toll from motorists till all the pending works on the expressway were completed.
Mr. Parameshwar said Additional Director General of Police (Traffic and Road Safety) Alok Kumar, who had recently conducted an inspection of the expressway, had briefed him about the steps that needed to be taken by NHAI.
No signboards
He said no steps had been taken by the NHAI to regulate traffic. Even signboards that aid the motorists were conspicuously missing on the expressway. “There are no signboards on where to stop, exit and enter on the highway. There are no measures for regulation of speed,” he said adding that highways normally have speed limits ranging from 80 to 110 km, but no such speed limits were found to be enforced on the expressway, he lamented.
Robbery
Also, he said a highway robbery had been reported on the expressway and necessary instructions had been issued to the Superintendent of Mandya district police to take immediate action to nab the culprits. The robbers had allegedly beaten and stolen money from the victim, who is now in the hospital, Mr. Parameshwar said.
He lamented that the NHAI was not under the State government’s control and fell under the purview of the Centre. “We have indicated to them against collection of toll. But, they are not ready…,” he said.
Mr. Parameshwar alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre had inaugurated the expressway in haste with a political motive. He said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was brought for inauguration of the expressway before the recently-held Assembly elections in Karnataka even before the works were completed. “So, we are facing the problem now,” he said.
Expressing concern over the number of deaths reported due to accidents on the highway, Mr. Parameshwar said the State government will bring the matter to the notice of Centre again. “We will also think about what we have to do next if they do not need to our request,” he said.
To questions on checking for drunken driving on the expressway, Mr. Parameshwar said the police will do whatever is needed to prevent deaths on the highway.
Measures ignored
Meanwhile, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy said the Centre has ignored the measures with regard to the expressway that had been suggested to NHAI after a recent meeting was held in Bengaluru.
While the Chief Secretary and Secretary of Public Works Department will be interacting with the NHAI officials, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy said he along with Minister for Public Works Satish Jarkiholi were planning to meet Union Minister for Surface Transport Nitish Gadkari in this regard.
Many lapses
He said a list of lapses on the expressway had been sent to NHAI after a recent meeting with regional officer of NHAI and other senior officials. The lapses identified included water logging on several stretches and insufficient height of the median, which has led to speeding vehicles toppling over to the other side of the highway.
He also pointed out lapses in lighting of the highway and absence of arrangements for ambulances to attend to victims of accidents.
He said the number of deaths due to accident on the highway were around 20 to 25 during March, April and May last year. “But, this year, 46 people died and 180 have been injured on the highway during the months of March, April and May,” he said.
