The Hindu

• Lack of skilled labour is hampering the highways repair work
• Heavy road laying machinery has been sourced from Gujarat

Mangalore, Aug 30: The repair work on National Highways 17 and 48 will start immediately, district in-charge Minister B. Nagaraj Shetty, has said.

He was addressing a meeting of engineers from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), State National Highways Mangalore division, Public Works Department and Mangalore City Corporation. Shetty made it clear to the respective departments that all the roads in the district should be made motorable.

Project director of NHAI Hemanth Gavasani said that there were some genuine problems such as lack of skilled labour. Heavy road laying machinery had already been sourced from Gujarat. Once that was completed the road laying work would start in full swing. He said that the work would begin on September 15.

Executive engineer of the State National Highways, Mangalore Division, B.S. Balakrishna, said the Shiradi Ghat section was in bad shape and needed immediate repairs that required Rs. 50 lac. He suggested that the entire 35-km Shiradi Ghat section would need rigid concrete roads to make it weather proof that would require at least Rs. 100 crore, he added.