Hassan MP Shreyas Patel seeks early start of highway works for Beluru–Hassan National Highway-373 project

New Delhi: Hassan Congress Lok Sabha member Shreyas Patel on Thursday met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari here and requested him to grant approval for the Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) for long pending Beluru–Hassan National Highway-373 project.

The work was approved in 2022–23 fiscal and tender also awarded. However, due to the non-approval of the Revised Cost Estimate (RCE), the project remains pending, Patel said in a memorandum.

Currently, the RCE proposal is pending for scrutiny at the NHAI's Regional Office in Bengaluru. Because of the administrative delay, the Appointed Date required to commence the work has not been declared, and the contractor is unable to start the work, he said.

"This road is one of the most important traffic corridors in Hassan district and is extensively used by local commuters, tourists, farmers, and inter-state vehicle users. Due to continuous rains and heavy vehicle traffic, the condition of the road has deteriorated badly, causing severe hardship to the public," he said in his plea.

He also raised the same issue in Lok Sabha on Wednesday as well.