'Restrict 4-lane road widening to 45 metres'

Speaking to presspersons here, Committee Convener Ramdas Nayak said NH 17 spreads 295 kms in Karnataka, 351 kms in kerala, 78 kms in Goa and 51 kms in Maharashtra. The Kerala and Goa governments have submitted a memorandum to NHAI to restrict the acquisition to 45 metres. However, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) which will be converting the 76 km stretch between Surathkal and Kundapur and the 195 km stretch between Kundapur and Karwar to four lanes with a width of 60 metres.

 “We will not accept this discrimainatrory policy of the NHAI. In fact, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa had directed the NHAI officials to restrict the width of the highway to 45 metres in urban areas and 60 metres in rural areas.”

“However, the officials had already begun acquiring the land for 60 metres width,” he alleged.

A delegation of the committee along with MLAs, MPs will meet CM B S Yeddyurappa on July 15 and urge him to reduce the width of NH 17 in these two districts to 45 metres.

If necessary, the committee would take a delegation to Prime Minister, he added.
Members of the committee Dr Sukhananda Shenoy, Alen Mendonca, Panduranga Kini, Ananth Rao, Sheela Shetty and others were present.