The Hindu

Mangalore, Feb 14: The State Government has sanctioned 14 new posts of engineers to Mangalore City Corporation, according to Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada J. Krishna Palemar. Speaking to presspersons after performing “bhoomipuja” for developing four main roads into four-lane concrete ones here on Friday, he said two posts each of executive engineers and assistant executive engineers, four assistant engineers, and six junior engineers had been sanctioned. Another post of superintending engineer might soon be sanctioned, he added.

The Minister said that the 1.3-km stretch between Bunts Hostel and Kadri Road would be concreted at an estimated cost of Rs. 4.75 crore; the 1.24-km stretch between Kadri and Lower Bendoorwell Road would be concreted at an estimated cost of Rs. 4.8 crore; another 1.24-km stretch between KSRTC Junction at Bejai and Kuntikana would be concreted at an estimated cost of Rs. 6.43 crore; and the 1.77-km stretch on the Falnir Road would be concreted at an estimated cost of Rs. 7.07 crore. The contractors had been instructed to complete these projects within six months from now, he added.

Of the four road works, two would be executed by Dix Engineering Project Services Pvt Ltd. Its commercial director Haridas Saliyan told The Hindu that a modern imported automatic machine, “Fixed form riding triple tube concrete paver”, would be used to lay the concrete. This machine could lay concrete from 600 m to 700 m a day against 100 m a day by the manually operated machine. “This automatic machine lays concrete vertically whereas the traditional one lays it horizontally,” he said. According to Mr. Saliyan, this machine is being used in Mangalore for the first time. This company was taking up concreting work in the jurisdiction of Mangalore City Corporation for the first time. This company had earlier taken up civil works of the Sea Bird Project at Karwar, Mr. Saliyan said. In addition to the two road works, the company has bagged the contract to concrete six roads in the city. They are: two stretches between Bejai-Church to KPT Junction; Shaktinagar Main Road; Hamilton Circle (in front of Deputy Commissioner’s office) to Old Clock Tower (in front of the Town Hall) road; Karangalpady to Bejai Road; and PVS Circle-Navbharath Circle to Krishnakunj Compound Road; Mr. Saliyan said.