Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Friday suggested that Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa take soft loans to the tune of ₹3,000 crore to ₹4,000 crore for executing the projects sanctioned under the Central Road Fund (CRF).
He was addressing a gathering through video link after symbolically initiating the bhoomi puja for two highway projects in and around Hubballi worth ₹323 crore, including the pending elevated corridor project at Kittur Chennamma Circle in Hubballi aimed at easing the traffic congestion at the busy junction.
Listing out the various projects sanctioned under CRF, Mr. Gadkari said that as Karnataka was a progressive State, the Union government had sanctioned various projects in order to facilitate the growth of several tier-2 and tier-3 cities. From the development point of view it was expected that the State government ensured early execution and completion of the projects, he said and suggested Mr. Yediyurappa [who also took part via video link] take soft loans.
The Union Minister also promised to release the funds gradually in the next 10 years.
Emphasising the need for developing Belekeri port in Uttara Kannada district, Mr. Gadkari asked the Chief Minister to get the detailed project report done and said he would extend necessary help in getting the project sanctioned.
On the need for tapping Karnataka’s potential in ethanol production, Mr. Gadkari elaborated on how the sugarcane belt of Karnataka would benefit from ethanol production as more vehicles could use the fuel.
The Union Minister also promised to come up with a integrated development project for the traffic problems of Bengaluru and said that a meeting with the Chief Minister will be held in New Delhi over the issue.
The Union Minister praised his Cabinet colleague and Dharwad MP, Pralhad Joshi, for succeeding in getting several projects sanctioned to Karnataka particularly north Karnataka.
He also announced 10 projects, worth ₹21,000 crore for the region, and said that they planned to initiate the projects within the year with the cooperation of the State government.
Responding to his suggestion, Mr. Yediyurappa said that soft loans would be raised to meet the fund requirements under the CRF products and also promised to extend necessary help to the projects under CRF by completing the land acquisition process at the earliest.
Thanking Mr. Gadkari, Mr. Joshi said that in the last six years 7,752 kilometres of national highways in Karnataka had been developed.
Union Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda and Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar thanked Mr. Gadkari for sanctioning various projects to Karnataka and explained things had changed under Mr. Gadkari.
Subsequently at Kittur Chennamma Circle, Mr. Joshi, Mr. Shettar, former Minister Basavaraj Horatti, and various elected representatives performed the bhoomi puja.
