DHNS
Mangalore, Dec 27: Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways K H Muniyappa has stated that the four-laning between Mangalore and BC Road will be completed by December 2009.
Addressing media persons here after inspecting the ongoing project on Friday, he said the four-laning work between Surathkal and Mangalore is almost complete which would be under complete utilisation for the public in the new year.
He said a survey has been conducted for the proposed four-laning of the stretch between BC Road and Hassan, and the tender process will begin soon.
“In addition to the existing two-lane road, a parallel new alignment will be laid. Since similar works have begun from Bangalore side, once the project is complete, the flow between the State capital and Chennai becomes very smooth,” he explained.
December 31 is the last date to submit tenders for the Surathkal-Kundapur four-laning project.
As soon as the tenders are opened, the Rs 677 crore budget gets started, that covers about seven major bridges also, Mr Muniyappa noted.
State govt blamed
Stating that the development on Shiradi Ghat - that it went pathetic within a short span even after spending Rs 40 crore - is unfortunate, the Union minister said the State government should have taken certain preventive measures to protect the road.
“It is the responsibility of the State government to formulate guidelines for the movement of heavy vehicles and regulate their load. It is the State’s duty to specify the maximum weight the trucks can carry,” he said.
Mr Muniyappa said he would instruct the Deputy Commissioners and Regional Transport Officers of Dakshina Kannada and Hassan districts to take the issue seriously.
This problem can be solved only through the joint efforts by the administrators of both the districts, he stressed.
CBI enquiry
The minister said he would not comment on the ongoing CBI enquiry against the reasons for the pathetic condition of the 37-km long Shiradi Ghat road since it would take its own course of time to complete the investigations.
When asked about the Court’s criticism on the delay the CBI has caused in progressing the inquiry, Muniyappa again said, “Please, don’t drag me into the court matters.”
Deputy Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) Project Director P N Gawasane, National Highways Executive Engineer H V Nanjeshaiah and Congress leader Moideen Bava were present on the occasion.