PANJIM: PWD and Transport Minister Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar on Wednesday stated that the Union Government has approved projects on National Highway 4, National Highway 17 and a new six-lane, approximately worth over Rs 15,000 crore.
Speaking to the media after laying the foundation stone for the new PWD building, Dhavalikar said, “I have been informed that National Highway 4A, National Highway 17 and also the national highway that connects Mopa International Airport to Panjim have been passed and the foundation stone will be laid before December 10.”
He added, “Wherever there are rivers on the National Highway 17, there will be six-lane bridges and Mopa-Panjim main road will be a six-lane. The road after Mopa airport will be four-lane. The places where transport is less, all the roads will be four-lane. Mollem to Khandepar and Farmagudi to Old Goa will be made four-lane with two bridges of six-lanes.
“The estimated cost according to me will be approximately Rs 15,000 crore and the entire project will be funded under Ministry of Road Transport and Highways,” Dhavalikar said.
He also said that the government has started collecting toll from vehicles entering Goa and that rumours that toll on national highway have been cancelled are false.
“For some reason the government has demonetised Rs 500 and 1000 notes, due to which most of the hardship have to be faced by the Transport Department, especially drivers and vehicle owners. Therefore, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had requested all the States not to take entry tax up to November 11,” he said.
“The agreement which has been signed is considering the toll. According to the National Highway agreement we are bound to accept the decision. We are accepting toll from everyone now at all the entry points. Toll and entry tax are two different things and the main reason for entry tax is to maintain our internal roads from the revenue generated by that,” Dhavalikar added.
