Minister for Ports, Environment and Science and Technology and in-charge of Dakshina Kannada district J. Krishna Palemar said here on Monday that the work on constructing a bus-stand at Pumpwell here would begin soon.
At a function organised by Mangalore City Corporation to name the airport road from Karnataka Polytechnic Junction to Maravoor after Sir M. Visvesvaraya, the Minister said the project to build the bus-stand at Puumpwell was on. He scotched speculation about the project being put on the backburner.
The Minister said the corporation officials should complete the work within six months.
To question, he said the construction would begin “in one or two days.”
Asked if an issue over constructing an underpass between Mahaveera Circle and Nanthoor Junction with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had been sorted out, the Minister said the NHAI had agreed to consider it favourably.
The corporation Commissioner, Harish Kumar, said it had been planned to start the construction on a low key and expand it in a phased manner. He said the proposed bus-stand would act as the hub for city buses and service buses that operate from satellite stations like Kankanady. Buses currently operating from the State Bank of India terminus would not be shifted to the new bus-stand.
The Minister said pavements and storm-water drains would be built along the 7-km stretch of the four-lane concrete road (Sir M. Visvesvaraya Road) between the KPT junction and Maravoor. Nirmiti Kendra would build them. Builders in the city would provide workers.
Mr. Palemar also inaugurated these works.
The Minister said that the road had been concreted at an estimated cost of Rs. 29.32 crore. Of this, the corporation had contributed Rs. 4.57 crore,
Grant
Rs. 12.50 crore had been drawn from State Finance Commission under its grant to the corporation during 2008-09, and Rs. 12.25 crore from a Union government scheme called ASIDE (Assistance to States for Developing Export Infrastructure and Allied Activities).
Mangalore City South MLA and Deputy Speaker in the Assembly N. Yogish Bhat and Mayor Praveen spoke.
