Team Herald
PANJIM: Union Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari said that all development works in Goa, to the tune of Rs 18,000 crore will be completed by the end of 2018. He was addressing a BJP campaign rally in Panjim on Wednesday, which had Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar along with other party leaders in attendance.
“I am assuring you that all works of Rs 18,000 crore, most of which work orders have been issued and some of the work have already commenced will be completed before the end of 2018,” Gadkari said.
He said that the new bridge over River Zuari would also be inaugurated before the end of 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Gadkari said that four-laning of the Mumbai-Goa concrete highway has begun in Maharashtra and work in Goa would be in three phases and work order for two phases have been issued. The third phase includes the stretch from Panjim to Mangalore, and the work order would be issued soon, he added.
He said the new international airport at Mopa would receive 250 aircraft per day, and 100 tourist cruise boats per year will come to Goa’s ports. “The growth in tourism sector will boost Goa’s economy, it will increase employment. Actual tourism business will increase five times,” Gadkari said.
Parrikar said that it was BJP that had curbed gang wars and destroyed organised crime in Panjim. After 1995 there were no major incidents witnessed in Panjim, he added. He said that his heart is in Panjim and when in Goa he spends most of his time in Panjim. “I won’t forget that because of Panjim and the support from Panjim I became Defence Minister, all the people of Panjim are very close to my heart,” Parrikar said.
