The Hindu
Pic - R K Durga Digitals
- The Barkur Bridge was reconstructed at a cost of Rs. 3 crore
Udupi/Barkur, Nov 27: Public Works Minister H D Revanna said here on Sunday November 26, that the Karnataka Development Front (KDF) Government had spent Rs. 410 crore on the construction of bridges since it came to power, while the previous Government had spent Rs. 110 crore. He was speaking after inaugurating the Barkur Bridge, which had been rebuilt at a cost of Rs. 3 crore. The bridge, which connects Brahmavar and Barkur towns, had collapsed on July 29, 2004, due to the movement of overloaded iron ore-laden lorries on it.
Mr. Revanna said the KDF Government had spent Rs. 800 crore on rural roads under the NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) scheme, while the previous Government had spent Rs. 300 crore under this scheme.
Work on highways
He said the State Government was giving importance to the four-laning of the B.C. Road-Mangalore stretch on National Highway 48 and the Surathkal-Kundapur stretch on National Highway 17. But the Union Government had been lethargic in implementing these works, he added.
Revanna said he had written many letters to Minister of State for National Highways K.H. Muniyappa to order the repair of National Highways 17 and 48, but to no avail. The State Government had also requested Union Minister for Surface Transport T.R. Baalu to hand over the responsibility for the National Highways to the State Government if the former was unable to maintain them.
There are 19 bridges between Mangalore and Kundapur on National Highway 17. Nearly 6,000 iron-ore laden lorries had been running on this and National Highway 48 daily. The Government has proposed to construct bridges on National Highway 17 between Mangalore and Kundapur, Mr. Revanna said.
He said new bridges would be built from Subrahmanya in Dakshina Kannada district to National Highway 48 in 100 days. The Government would also release funds would be released for the repair of the highways in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada.