Mahendra Singhi, a member of the State Level Committee on the Prime Minister’s 15-Point Programme for Minority Welfare, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to expedite repairs on the Belagavi-Kolhapur-Pune section of National Highway 48.
In a letter to the leaders, Singhi, who is also part of the Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) for South Western Railway, recounted his recent challenging journey along this route. Typically, a trip from Belagavi to Pune takes just over five hours, but due to the poor road conditions, his journey extended to over nine hours, with vehicles restricted to speeds of just 30 km/h.
Singhi highlighted that parts of the highway have deteriorated to the point of being unusable, with drivers often forced to take service roads riddled with potholes and speed bumps. Poor signage at diversion points and heavy rain further exacerbate the situation, reducing visibility. Although some roadwork is in progress, it is moving at a sluggish pace. Singhi emphasized that despite paying tolls, motorists are enduring unbearable conditions, and called on immediate action to alleviate their hardships.
