Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Oscar Fernandes on Sunday defended the State government’s Shaadi Bhagya scheme saying that the scheme was not an “election gimmick” as alleged by the Opposition parties, ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to presspersons here, Mr. Fernandes said that the allegations made by the Opposition parties against the scheme were baseless. He said that reaching the programmes of the government to the beneficiaries was important and not the names of the programmes.
He expressed satisfaction over the maintenance and construction of highways in the State. He said that the work on the six-lane highway between Tumkur and Chitradurga had been completed and that the road will be inaugurated shortly. He said that the work on the Bangalore-Devanahalli highway will be completed within two months. He said that the construction of service roads, which is pending, will be taken up shortly.
He said that a bridge connecting National Highway 4 and National Highway 206 near Batawadi in Tumkur city will be constructed to avoid accidents.
Mr. Fernandes, , who was on his way to Chikmagalur with his wife to attend a private function, had a meeting with the officers concerned of the National Highways Authority of India here.
