Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel has said that 22 km of the 45 km- long Bikarnakatte-Sanur National Highway widening project has been completed.
The Union government has sanctioned over ₹200 crore for acquiring land to widen a 2.5 km stretch in Padavu village for the project. The land acquisition in this stretch was pending coming in the way of widening the highway. The Union Finance Ministry has agreed to sanction over ₹200 crore to acquire the land on the stretch.
Mr. Kateel told reporters here on Saturday, that there are litigations over acquiring land to widen another 20 km stretch as there are differences between the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and land owners over the rate of compensation. “We are trying to resolve them and speed up the widening project,” Mr. Kateel said.
The 45 km stretch starts from Bikarnakatte (on Mangaluru- Moodbidri route) in the city and ends at Sanur, about 5 km ahead of Karkala in Udupi district. The stretch is being widened at an estimated cost of ₹1,137 crore, excluding the cost of land acquisition. The highway is being widened to 45 m, which includes 18-20m of carriageway, medians, pavements and other infrastructure. A 5.5 km long bypass at Gurupura and 7 km bypass in Moodbidri are also part of the project.
“I am reviewing this and other National Highway projects in Dakshina Kannada every 15 days. I am also reviewing the railway projects,” he said. Mr. Kateel remains hopeful that ongoing road and railway projects will be completed by 2024.
During his visit to the project site on Saturday, residents of Ganjimutt complained that their houses might get flooded during the rainy season as the road being built lacked stormwater drains. Mr. Kateel directed the NHAI officials to take necessary measures to prevent flooding.
Mangaluru City North MLA Y. Bharath Shetty accompanied Mr. Kateel.
