Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Shipping, has promised all help and cooperation to Karnataka for developing the road network.
“Our (NDA government) priority is to develop the road infrastructure network by way of upgrading the existing roads and declaring some of the most important roads as National Highways to help economic growth and make the country prosperous. We firmly believe that good roads would lead to industrialisation, which in turn not only generate more employment opportunities but also help eradicate poverty. In this context, there cannot be any kind of discrimination as for as development issues are concerned. We are very fair to Karnataka in ensuring that it gets its due especially with regard to development or roads. Whenever MPs from Karnataka approach me with proposals for upgradation of roads, I would only be thinking how best I could help,” he said.
Mr. Gadkari was speaking after laying the foundation stone for four-laning of NH-63 stretch between Hubballi and Hosapete and from Hosapete to the State border in Ballari and also for other road infrastructure development projects here on Saturday.
Following requests from Minister Basavaraj Rayareddi, Mr. Gadakari announced that 10 roads in northern Karnataka would be developed as National Highways at the earliest. He said that Public Works Minister Mahadevappa could come to him with more proposals along with detailed project reports (DPRs) prepared for upgrading/improving of roads wherever the traffic density is very high in the State to which he would be giving clearances without any delay. There was no dearth of funds in this regard.
“During the first two years of NDA government’s regime, we could develop an additional 2,000 km of roads as National Highways. By the end of the fifth year of our tenure, we want to ensure Karnataka would have 14,000 km of NH from the present 7,000 km. The State gvernment should accelerate the process of land acquisition to ensure that the proposals were executed without delay”, he said.
