State government to complete highway projects in a year

Bengaluru: Bothered over unnecessary deferrals in execution, Karnataka on Friday set one year due date for the completion of all highway projects over the state. 

“Finish all ventures on 4,000 km national highway over the state within a year, as their pace backed off recently for different reasons,” said Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy at a meeting with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) authorities. 

Evaluated to cost Rs 37,000 crore, the tasks have been held up due to delays in land procurement and moving of utilities by the state government. 

“The Chief Minister coordinated the Deputy Commissioners and the CEOs of the zilla parishads in the district to accelerate the land procurement procedure and hand them over to the NHAI for the highway ventures,” said an authority in an announcement here. 

State Public Works Department (PWD) Minister H.D, Revanna said that Karnataka had 7,556 km highway roads, kept up by NHAI and NH division of the PWD. 

“As the NHAI has been coordinated to create 1,959 km highway across the state by this financial year (2018-19), with Rs 27,000 crore investment, I have advised the offices worried to collaborate with the highway expert in finishing them in a time bound way,” Revanna said in the announcement. 

Among the projects are NH 275 from Bengaluru to Mysuru (117 km); NH 17 from Goa border to Kundapur by means of Karwar in coastal Uttara Kannada district (179 km); NH 206 from Tumakuru to Shivamogga (205 km), NH 150 from Ballari to Hiriyur (160 km), and Bengaluru satellite town ring road (283 km).