The Hindu : Karnataka News : Raw deal for north Karnataka in allocation of funds for highways

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 19, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Raw deal for north Karnataka in allocation of funds for highways

Suresh Bhat and S. Bageshree

Funds meant for the region being diverted to south

Bijapur/Bangalore: People of north Karnataka have always had a raw deal, be it in granting of projects or allocation of funds for those already granted. Here is yet another instance of this. Even the national highways in the region are in a state of utter neglect, and funds meant for their maintenance are reportedly being diverted to districts in the southern region.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) has earmarked an annual grant of Rs. 80 crore to the Karnataka zone that maintains national highways of 3,843 km, including 1,317 km coming under the northern circle headquartered in Dharwad. If the funds were distributed proportionately to the length of highways, the northern circle should have received Rs. 27.5 crore. But sources told The Hindu that the circle had received a paltry sum of Rs. 10 crore. The southern circle, headquartered in Bangalore, had used up the rest.

This is shocking considering that roads in northern districts are worst hit compared with those in the southern region. They are battered by heavy traffic of overloaded, iron ore-carrying trucks and the recent floods. Roads such as NH 218 (Bijapur-Hubli), NH 63 (Ankola-Budhgumpa, via Hubli), NH 13 (Sholapur- Chitradurga via Hospet and Bijapur) and NH 17 (passing through coastal districts) are in bad condition. The Regional Officer of MORTH recently inspected the national highways in north Karnataka and submitted a report. He directed the executive engineers to prepare a Flood Damage Report. Twenty-four reports submitted by them have not been acted upon.

It is learnt that a high-level meeting was held by Chief Secretary P.B. Mahishi on Wednesday and he directed the officials to take immediate action on setting right the national highways in north Karnataka.

According to sources, NH 63 and NH 17 alone require about Rs. 100 crore each to bring them back to national highway standards. NH 218, particularly the stretch between Bagalkot and Hubli, is completely degraded, thanks to vehicles carrying granite. Besides, a bridge proposed on NH 218 across the Malaprabha at Konnur to prevent its inundation during rain, at a cost of Rs. 25 crore, has been gathering dust for two years. In all, according to sources, the northern circle requires at least Rs. 600 crore.

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