Now, get set to zoom

Now, get set to zoom
Centre okays expressway through Goa
SURAJ NANDREKAR
PANJIM, OCT 9
Even as the dust over the demolition of houses for the proposed widening of National Highway 17 and National Highway 4A is yet to be settled, the Central Government has granted its approval for an expressway passing through the State.
In what could spell more trouble for residents, the new expressway, to be undertaken by the proposed National Expressway Authority of India (NEAI), in all probabilities will take an entire different route – which would mean more demolition of houses and possibly some more protests.
The Expressway, which will be a six-lane road, will be completed in two phases.
The first phase from Mangalore-Karwar-Panjim, covering a distance of 400 kms is scheduled to be completed by 2012 while the second phase from Panjim to Mumbai is scheduled to be completed by 2017.
A Faridabad-based company Craphts Consultants (India) Pvt Ltd has completed the feasibility study to formulate a Master Plan for development of “Indian National Expressway Network” for the horizon year 2022, i.e. by the end of the 13th Five Year Plan.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) website says that the idea is to achieve a modest target of nearly 15, 600 kms of expressway by 2022.
The study also aims at prioritising and phasing of expressway development/construction programme by 2012, 2017 and 2022.
“Future expansion of ports, major identified SEZs, development programme under NHDP Phase VI, proposed expressways, existing expressways, expressways committed at the State levels have all been considered while drafting the network of national expressways,” the report by the consultants states.
The consultants have further recommended certain amendments in the LA Act of the NHAI along the lines of the DMRC Act for speedy land acquisitions.
In the process, the consultants have also recommended formation of a nodal authority to be named as the National Expressway Authority of India (NEAI) that shall have State (project) units for efficient discharge of duties.
The Commissionerate (Land) shall be a part of the NEAI.
Authorities in the State, however, have not yet taken the matter seriously despite intimations being sent to the Public Works Department and other officials. The MoRTH has also given its approval for the expressway through Goa.
When contacted top officials, who refused to be named sighting election code, admitted receiving the letter but said the matter was yet to be studied.
“We have to first see what the Centre’s plan is and only then we can react”, an official said.
Ironically, it is pertinent to note that a similar attitude has put Goans in a soup over the alignment for the proposed NH17 and NH4A.
Till recently, the State did not have any knowledge about the alignment for the project and the administration woke up only after protests from the locals.