Bangalore: High-level Panel Clears Rs 2792 Cr Road Projects in Karnataka
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Nov 16: A high-level committee headed by Karnataka Chief Secretary S V Ranganath on Wednesday cleared Rs. 2792 crore road projects to be laid across the State under the Karnataka State Highway Improvement Project (KSHIP).
Karnataka’s Public Works Minister C M Udasi, who addressed the media, said the state highways would be developed in different parts of the State under the project and Rs. 800 crore would be spent before end of 2011-12.
A total sum of Rs. 2792 crore would be spent to develop 7,254 km highway roads in the State, he said.
The department would upgrade 4132 km major district roads by incurring expenditure of Rs. 2192 crore.
A sum of Rs. 53 lakh would be spent on each kilometreof road. A total of 3221 km would be asphalted by spending Rs. 604 crore. The estimated expenditure for asphalting a km road is Rs. 19.36 lakh, the minister said.
All potholes in the roads would be filled by next month end and sum of Rs. 150 crore has been released, he said.
Referring to damaged Shiradi Ghat section road, a stretch between Sakleshpur and Mangalore on NH-48, the minister said the Union Government has not been cooperating with the State for repairing the road.
It may be recalled that the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCC) had recently said the national highway 48 between Sakleshpur and Mangalore was in dire straits and the woefully inadequate infrastructure facilities in the State will act as disincentive for investors in the State.
The FKCCI president J R Bangera said the stretch between Sakleshpur and Mangalore (Shiradi Ghat of NH-48) has to be strengthened on the lines of Golden Quadrilateral to fuel the economic growth in coastal and malnad districts.
“Connectivity to the Mangalore Port is inaccessible due to the bad road in the Shiradi Ghat section. Movement of heavy trucks caused severe damage to the road,” he said.
He had said the state highway from Mysore to Mangalore was also badly damaged and repair works has not been completed. A stretch between Mani to Sampaje has become unmotorable due to potholes.