‘Gadkari agreed to concretize NHs in Goa’

PANAJI: Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday agreed to Goa’s request to include 252-km of national highways in Goa for concretization while concretizing the Mumbai-Sawantwadi sector of
the NH17.
Goa PWD minister Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar told TOI from Delhi that a delegation comprising defence minister Manohar Parrikar, chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar and himself, met Gadkari on Thursday afternoon.
Gadkari had already announced plans to concretize the NH17 from Mumbai to Sawantwadi.
The Goa delegation requested him to extend the project to Goa to include 252-km of national highways in Goa in the same project.
Dhavalikar said Gadkari has agreed to the request and asked Goa to prepare a detailed project report and submit it to the Centre at the earliest.
The highways will be widened up to a width of between 22m to 30m; and where there is land available, it will extend to 40m. The Goa part of the project will be executed by the same contractor that is executing the Mumbai-Konkan project.
Dhavalikar said Gadkari has advised his principal secretary to include the Goa sector in the Mumbai-Konkan concretization project. Gadkari has also advised Goa to expedite other infrastructure works in the state. Work will start from next year, Dhavalikar said, adding that 2015 will see a major spurt in developmental works in Goa.