FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The Public Works Department (PWD) Goa and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Bangalore Regional Office are at loggerheads over the works of the Chorla Ghat Goa-Belagavi road repairs works.
The PWD has denied NOC to the NHAI to take up the works of Goa section of the mountainous road reportedly to avoid duplication of works.
PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral said, “We have repaired the Goa section of the Chorla Ghat road. We couldn’t wait for them (NHAI). The NHAI has planned to take up the road widening and other works of this stretch. When I read the tender I found it is the same work that we have already done which is only hot-mixing.”
He further said, “I have refused to give NOC of the work as we don’t want to do duplication of works. I have asked to drop our road stretch. I have asked to take up the works from Goa border to your (Karnataka) section.”
The Belagavi District Collector Nitesh Patil had said that the work got delayed due to handing over the Authority of 43-km stretch between Chorla-Belagavi to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) from the Goa PWD end.
District In-Charge Minister Govind Karjol, who chaired a review meeting on October 31 in Belagavi, mentioned that the NHAI is not proceeding with the construction of the road as Goa State has not handed over the road under its jurisdiction.
However, the District Collector has now asked the NHAI to proceed with the road repair works to avoid further inconvenience.
