Gadkari to lay foundation stone for harbour today

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, will lay the foundation stone for the all-season fishing harbour at Kulai via video conferencing on March 5.

This will be a moment when a five-decade-long dream of the people of Coastal Karnataka will be realised.

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel told reporters at Circuit House on Monday that the state-of-the-art harbour is planned to be constructed on 11 acres of land, north of the New Mangalore Port. It is modelled on the lines of a harbour in Kerala. The Ministry of Transport is expected to bear 50% of the total cost of the project (Rs 196.5 crore). The New Mangalore Port will contribute Rs 85 crore while 5% of the funds (Rs 9.82 crore) will be borne by the state government. In the first phase, tender process for construction of breakwater will begin.

“The harbour will boost the economic condition of the fishermen from Hejamady to Boloor. The religious rituals will be held on the beach in the early hours of Tuesday. The foundation stone-laying programme is being organised at the NMPT auditorium at 10 am,” said Kateel.

The MP added that the Central government has carved out a separate Ministry for Fisheries from the existing Agriculture Department.

“The minister will also lay the foundation stone for road development works that are planned in the district under the Central government Bharatmala programme. The works include the four-laning of the 41.1-km-long Sanuru Junction – Karnataka (Rs 1,163 crore), the 91.2-km-long Mulki – Kateel – Bajpe – Polali – B C Road – Thokkottu Ring Road (Rs 2,500 crore) and the six-laning of the Kuloor Road (Rs 65 crore),” said the MP.

“Land acquisition will be undertaken as per the new Land Acquisition Act. Compensation for the land owners will be four times more than the actual price of the acquired land. The Centre has released funds for asphalt of the main roads. Funds of Rs 12 crore have been sanctioned for the Kulashekar – Karkala Road; Rs 10 crore for the Punjalkatte – Charmadi Road; Rs 20 crore for the Mani – Sampaje Road and Rs 24 crore for the NITK – B C Road,” he explained.

Kateel added that he had strived to bring in a plastic park, a Coast Guard training centre, a Kendriya Vidyalaya, an NITK campus and a coconut park in Bantwal.

“All these programmes have received administrative approval. The proposal for formation of a special agriculture zone covering Belthangady, Sullia and Puttur and an IT Park in Konaje. The Central government had released more than Rs 16,000 crore to the constituency,” he declared.

NHAI project director Samson Vijay was present at the press meet.