4 national highway projects in state progressing smoothly, 2 delayed

The Centre is implementing six projects pertaining to widening of national highways worth Rs 7,060 crore in Karnataka, of which, barring two, the rest are progressing without any hurdle.

The National Highways Authority of India is implementing all the six projects under build-operate-transfer mode in different parts of the state, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Mansukh L Mandaviya, informed Rajya Sabha on Thursday. Replying to a question by K C Ramamurthy (Congress), the minister said 92% of the four-laning works of the Suratkal-Kundapur section of NH-17 is completed and the remaining work will be completed by the end of June.

Around 70% of the four-laning work of a section of NH-66 from the Goa-Karnataka border to Kundapur is completed and the remaining work is targeted for completion by August. Four-laning work of the NH-9 section from the Maharashtra-Karnataka border to Sangareddy is expected to be completed in June and four-laning of the NH 4 section between Hosapete and Chitradurga is expected to be completed in August.

 Due to slow progress of work on NH-207 between Hoskote and Dobbspet, NHAI issued a notice for termination of the concession agreement on May 18, 2016 and the project is kept in abeyance on the request of the lead banker and concessionaire. The government hopes to resolve the problem and work will start at the earliest, the minister said.

NHAI plans to invite fresh bids for widening of the Belagavi-Khanapur section of NH-4 soon since the project was stuck due to a delay in forest and environment clearances. Work on the project worth Rs 360 crore began in 2012 and was expected to have been completed by July 2014.