The completion of the vital section of the Belgaum-Panaji National Highway, stretching from Honkal Cross in Khanapur taluk to the Karnataka-Goa border near Anmod in Uttara Kannada district, has become an urgent priority with a strict three-month deadline in place.
The urgency for immediate action on the pending development work of the Belgaum-Panaji National Highway (via Anmod) was emphasized by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the Project Director of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). During a recent inspection of the ongoing road construction on the Anmod-Honakal road, Kumar, along with officers and engineers, expressed concern over the lack of progress.
The contract for this highway project was awarded to a company from Maharashtra, but complications arose as the contracted agency sublet the work to another contractor, leading to a slowdown in construction activities. The existing roadblocks are attributed to the lack of coordination between the two contractors responsible for executing the project. Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has been made aware of this issue, prompting Kumar’s visit for an inspection and a call for swift action to ensure the timely completion of the highway construction.
During the inspection, MLA Vithal Halagekar raised concerns about the Honakal-Anmod road, highlighting its incomplete and extensively damaged state. He emphasized the need to address the daily challenges faced by residents, particularly students in over 40 villages of Gunji. To alleviate the situation, Halagekar recommended that highway authority officials issue advance notices to motorists in the affected area and temporarily regulate traffic on the highway. This proactive approach would facilitate the necessary repairs within the stipulated timeframe.
