In a bid to expedite the long-pending development work on the Belagavi-Panaji National Highway, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the Project Director of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), has directed the contracted agency to conclude the crucial stretch from Honkal Cross in Khanapur taluk to the Karnataka-Goa border near Anmod in Uttara Kannada district within the next three months.
During a recent inspection of the Anmod-Honakal road, Kumar, accompanied by a team of officers and engineers, revealed that a Maharashtra-based company had initially secured the contract for the highway project. However, it has come to light that the contracted agency sublet the work to another contractor, resulting in a significant lack of progress.
The delay in completion is attributed to poor alignment and coordination between the two contractors assigned to the project. Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has been briefed on this issue, prompting Kumar’s site visit for inspection and a call for immediate action to ensure the swift completion of the highway construction.
During the press interaction, MLA Vithal Halagekar, present at the meeting, expressed concerns about the incomplete and extensively damaged Honakal-Anmod road. Emphasizing the need to alleviate daily hardships faced by residents, especially students in over 40 villages of Gunji village, he suggested that NHAI officials issue advance notices to motorists in the affected area and temporarily regulate traffic on the highway. This proactive approach aims to facilitate the necessary repairs within the stipulated three-month timeframe.