Mangaluru: If the public has been blaming MP Nalin Kumar Kateel for delay in completion of the flyover at Pumpwell and Thokkottu even after eight years, Nalin accused the state government for the slow the progress of the work.
After inspecting the ongoing work of flyover at Pumpwell Circle on Sunday, November 18, Nalin said that about 90% work on flyover at Pumpwell circle has been completed and it will be opened by the end of January 2019. The flyover work at Thokkottu also will be completed by the end of December and it will be opened for public use from the first week of January 2019, he said.
Informing about the reasons behind the slow progress of the work Nalin said, “though flyover work was initiated in 2010, the actual work began only after 2016. As there was an objection to shifting `Kalasha` from Pumpwell Circle, district administration took a long time to shift it to a safe location. Hence the flyover work was also delayed. Meanwhile, as there was another proposal of constructing private bus stand near Pumpwell Circle, the design of the bus stand also changed frequently, which prevented the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to go ahead with its work. Later, Navayuva construction company, which took the work under PPP model, also met financial crisis, which was also another reason for the slow progress of the work. All the problems have been tackled and both flyover works will be completed within the deadline“, he said.
Speaking about the slow progress of the service roads, Nalin said, despite compensation having been provided, three owners of the buildings at Thokkottu and ten owners at BC Road have raised an objection and the state government failed to demolish their buildings, which prevented the works on widening service roads. The responsibility of acquisition of the land for development works lies with the state government and its failure in sorting out the problems on land acquisition caused a delay in construction of flyovers and Highway widening“, he added.
Meanwhile, Nalin clarified that he has already approached Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari for removing tollgate at NITK- Suratkal and Panemangalore. The regional officer has already sent a letter to both state and the central government in this regard. “I do not favor merger of NITK tollgate with Hejamady tollgate, but I have been insisting to remove the NITK tollgate. The state government also should write a letter to union government to remove the said tollgates“, he clarified.
NHAI project director Sasmson Vijay Kumar, engineer Ajith Kumar among others were present.
