Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru Feb 28: Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, inaugurated laid foundation stone of 15 projects pertaining to national highway worth Rs 3,163 crore on Monday February 28 at Kulshekar.
Addressing the gathering, Gadkari said, “The DPR will be prepared for the Mangaluru ring road which will benefit the industries and port in Mangaluru. We are planning for Pune- Bengaluru highway which will help one reach their destination in just four hours. Chennai-Bengaluru highway work has been already started and will be inaugurated this year. The infrastructure of Karnataka will change completely.
“Priority will be given for Shiradi Ghat road development of 26 kilometre. It is in the state PWD ministry at present. Once the proposal is discussed with chief minister and forest ministry, the project will be sanctioned. The DPR of Shiradi tunnel will be done soon once the chief minister secures clearance from the Forest and Environment ministry on the six-lane Shiradi tunnel worth Rs 14,000 crore.
“We have undertaken Rs 2,000 crore worth project under Bharathmala for road and port connectivity. In the next five years, the road infrastructure of the nation will be changed completely. Due to the strong political will, in 2024 we will make the roads, infrastructure of Karnataka on par with America,” he said.
Regard toll gate issues, Gadkari said, “I will call Nalin Kumar Kateel for a meeting in in Delhi pertaining to toll gates. Some toll gates are private while some belong to the NHAI. There are legal complications as well. I understand the problem and will soon find a solution for the issue. I have sanctioned Mangaluru ring road and Nanthoor flyover as well. I always say that politics of the 21st century is politics for progress and development.”
MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said, “I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and minister Nitin Gadkari for sanctioning projects worth Rs 3,163 crore. Many are questioning my work as an MP for the last 13 years. I am proud that today projects have been launched such as Mangaluru-Bengaluru four-lane and Bikkarnakatte-Saanur four-lane. Kulur bridge will be inaugurated and foundation stone will be soon laid for KPT VUP.
“I have placed three demands with the minister which are Nanthoor flyover, Mangaluru bypass road and four-laning of Mani-Mysore road. We have a lot of issues regarding the toll gate located at NITK. I have urged the minister to take steps to either merge it with Hejmady toll gate or scrap the NITK toll gate completely. I have also requested him for the four-laning of Punjalkatte-Charmadi road. Dakshina Kannada has seen transformation since Modi took over in 2014. We have got projects like Smart City, fishing jetty, plastic park and coast guard training centre. In the last four years, the central government has released Rs 19,000 crore for the district,” he said.
Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said, “Dakshina Kannada is a very special place. People from here are spread globally. We can find people from the coastal belt anywhere you go. The projects dedicated to the district will be revolutionary in road infrastructure.”
Some of the projects for which the foundation stone was laid and inaugurated include KPT junction NH 66 construction VUP worth Rs 34.61 crore, NH 75 Bengaluru-Mangaluru, Gundya Addahole to Periyashanti 15 km four-laning worth Rs 442.87 crore, NH 75 Bengaluru-Mangaluru Gundya Addahole-Periyashanti-Bantwal 48 km four-laning and an overbridge at Kalladka worth Rs 1,480.85 crore, NH 169 45 km Bikkarnakatte-Saanur worth Rs 1,137 crore and NH 234 19 km BC Road-Punjalkatte worth Rs 159.70 crore.
Union ministry for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, Prahlad Joshi, minister for PWD C C Patil, district in-charge minister V Sunil Kumar, minister S Angara, MLAs Vedavyasa Kamath and Dr Bharath Y Shetty, Sanjeev Matandoor, Harish Poonja, MLC Prathap Simha Nayak, and mayor Premananda Shetty were present.