From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, July 7: Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy has directed National Highway Authority to complete the ongoing projects of around 4,000 Km of national highways in the State within a year.
The chief minister had convened a high level meeting with officers of National Highway Authority of India to review the national highway projects in the state at an estimated cost of Rs 37,000 Crore in Bengaluru on Friday.
Public works minister H D Revanna, higher education minister G T Deve Gowda, cooperation minister Bandeppa Kashempur, chief secretary to government T M Vijaya Bhaskar, additional chief secretary to government, PWD, Rajaneesh Goyal, BMRCL managing director Mahendra Jain, principal secretary to chief minister Ramanareddy, senior officers from NHAI, deputy commissioners and chief executive officers of respective districts were present in the meeting.
The chief minister noted that progress of the highway works have slowed down and directed the officers to hold review meeting chaired by chief secretary every month and complete all the projects in a time bound manner.
He also directed the deputy commissioners and chief executive officers of the concerned districts to speed up the land acquisition process and hand over to NHAI and to replace electric pole, water pipes etc quickly while developing the roads.
PWD Minister H D Revanna said that State has a total of 7556 Km road maintained by NHAI and national highway division of PWD.
It is planned to develop 1959 Km roads with an investment of Rs. 27,000 Crore by NHAI during 2018-19. The cooperation of various department is necessary to implement these projects successfully.
It was directed to complete following projects in the time- bound manner:
1. NH 275: Bengaluru to Mysuru -117 Km
2. NH 17- Goa border to Kundapur via Karwar- 170 Km
3. NH 206- Tumakuru to Shivamogga- 4 Lane- 205 Km
4. NH 150- Ballari to Hiriyur- 160 Km
5. Bengaluru STRR (Bengaluru Satellite Town Ring Road)- 283 Km
6. NH48- Bengaluru to Hassan 180 Km- It is proposed to the Union Government to convert this stretch into Total Control Access Express Way.