Apparent encroachments by some officials shrunk national highways' width in Goa: Nitin Gadkari

Gadkari was addressing a function after laying the foundation stone for four national highway expansion projects and inaugurating the country's first cable-stayed bridge on a curve at Vasco town in south Goa.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday wondered if encroachments facilitated by some government officials caused the reduction of the width of national highways in Goa.

He said if officials failed to remove encroachments, he would arrange bulldozers for demolition.Gadkari was addressing a function after laying the foundation stone for four national highway expansion projects and inaugurating the country’s first cable-stayed bridge on a curve at Vasco town in south Goa.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also attended the event.Gadkari said he had requested the chief minister and the chief secretary to look into the matter urgently.”Whenever I observe these roads, I doubt that some government officials have encroached on them because its width is improper,” he said referring to the national highway works in the coastal state.

Gadkari said work has to be taken up as per the measurement of roads in future.”If required, give notices and remove the encroachments. If they don’t remove encroachments, I will arrange bulldozers to raze them,” the Union minister said. He said there were some difficulties in the road works in the flying zone of the Indian Navy.”The Indian Navy has staked a claim on parts of the area, but I feel that the compound wall of the Navy itself has been constructed by encroachment,” he said.Gadkari said notices will be served to those involved in encroachments, which will be removed.

The Union minister laid the foundation stone for four projects of Rs 2,500 crore which will focus on widening critical stretches of national highways to improve traffic flow and connect key economic regions.The foundation stones were laid for Ponda to Bhoma section (NH-748) which facilitates connectivity between Ponda, Bandora, Priol, Cuncoliem, Cundaim, Bhoma, Corlim, Old Goa and Panaji, Zuari-Margao Bypass (NH-66), Navelim- Cuncolim section, and Bendordem-Karnataka Border (NH-66) project costing Rs 1,376.12 crore.