Bengaluru: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday, laid foundation stones for 33 highway projects worth Rs 10,904 crores in Karnataka.
Inaugurated & laid foundation stones for 33 national highway projects in Karnataka with a total cost of 10,904Cr in the presence of Chief Minister Shri @BSYBJP ji, Former Prime Minister Shri @H_D_Devegowda ji, Union Minister Shri @JoshiPralhad ji,… pic.twitter.com/eq5P1noRKC
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) December 19, 2020
The virtual event for projects pertain to building 1,197 kilometres stretch of highways, was presided over by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and attended by Union Minister V K Singh, former PM H D Deve Gowda, Union Minister Joshi Pralhad, and Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Sadananda Gowda and others.
According to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the projects will result in the all-round development of the state of Karnataka.
Karnataka has 7,652 km of national highways, out of which 3,528 km are under the National Highway Authority of India while 4,124 km are with state public works department. Over the past six years, the Ministry has spent Rs 45,000 crores on developing and maintaining the national highways in Karnataka.
A Ministry spokesperson said that there are 71 ongoing projects costing an estimated Rs 37,400 crores for a length of 2,400 km and 39 projects are to be awarded costing an estimated Rs 1,100 crores having a length of 645 km.
Over the next three years, the Road Transport and Highways Ministry plans to implement 69 projects covering a length of 3213 km at a cost of Rs 68,000 crores.
Some of the projects that will be undertaken under the Rs 11,000 crore initiative are the Chitradurga-Shivamogga road development and construction of Shivamoga city, construction of a six-lane bridge of approximately 1 km on NH-66 across the Phalguni river near Kulur, four-laning of coastal roads from the Goa-Karnataka border to the Kerala-Karnataka border connecting Velakari, Karwar and Mangaluru (port cities).
Meanwhile, Union Minister Gadkari asked the Karnataka government to start innovative factories that can turn sugarcane to ethanol as sugarcane mills are facing problems and the farmers are able to earn from the crop. “It is time to reduce the production of sugar,” the Minister said, according to the Financial Express.
