` 523 crore to connect national highways in state'

Union minister of State for national highway and transport  Satyanarayan said centre has approved the project of widening NH 212, a stretch of 150.80 km from Kerala border to Kollegal (state highway) to four lane thereby connecting it to national highway at an estimated cost of Rs 523.488 crore.

Speaking to press persons here on Friday, he said, development of two lane with paved shoulders of Kollegal-Kerala border of NH-212 from 117.6 km to 268.4 km in the State will be taken with public-private participation with concession period of 14 years.

Elaborating on the project, he said, out of the total length of 4,491 km of National highways in the State, a length of 1,370 km has been handed over to National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for development under National Highway Development Project.

As of now, 3,121 km of national highway is with State-National Highway zone for maintenance and improvements. Further, out of the present 3,121 km, NHAI has taken up planning and preparation of detailed project report for about 1,381 km length of National Highway.

Citing various upgradation of roads, he said, 117.800 km to 268.40 km  along Bandipur will be upgraded to seven metre as there are instructions not to take new development works of roads in the forest areas. 136.600 km from Bandipur to 152.500 Gundlupet will be developed into 10 mt broad two lane.

152.5 km to 154.5 km at Gundlupet town into 14 mt wide four lane, 154.5 km to 188.5 km from Gundlupet to Nanjangud into 14 mt wide two lane. 188.50 km to 215 km from Nanjangud rural police station to Alanahali, Mysore into four lane, 215 km to 268.475 km  from Alanahalli to Kollegal into four lane. Roads in outskirts of Gundlupet will be 10 mt.

He noted that the works of the national highway connecting Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu will be completed in four months.

He added that precautions will be taken at forest areas without violating the regulations.
Satyanarayan said that equal distribution of development works will be done to all states without meting injustice to any including Karnataka. “Depending upon the requirements, projects will be approved,” he added.

He exuded confidence of UPA winning parliamentary elections again under the  able leadership of prime minister Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

MP of Mysore A H Vishwanath, Chamarajanagar MP R Dhruvanarayan, chief engineer of the project Jayaprakash, assistant executive engineer Shivashankar and others were present.