New Delhi: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has drawn a firm line over delays and poor-quality work on infrastructure projects, declaring that he will not attend the inauguration of the long-delayed Mumbai-Goa highway.
Gadkari said he had decided against attending the inauguration because he felt “ashamed” that the project had been delayed for so long. He made the remarks after inaugurating a six-lane elevated road corridor at Porvorim near Panaji in Goa.
As part of his effort to personally assess the progress of the highway, Gadkari said he would land at Mumbai airport in October and travel by road to Goa, inspecting the entire length of the project along the way.
“I had announced that I would not come for the inauguration of the Mumbai-Goa highway because I felt ashamed that it had been delayed so much,” Gadkari said.
The highway passes through Maharashtra’s coastal Konkan region and is expected to provide relief to daily commuters and travellers heading towards Konkan destinations, who have faced years of pothole-ridden roads.
Gadkari also issued a strong warning to contractors and officials involved in infrastructure projects, saying strict action against those responsible for delays and substandard work would continue.
“Now I want to set a record of blacklisting the maximum number of contractors and taking action against them, as well as suspending officials, within a year. I am not going to stop doing this now,” he said.
The minister’s remarks came in the presence of Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Union minister Shripad Naik, State Public Works Department Minister Digambar Kamat and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte.
The Mumbai-Goa highway has faced repeated delays over the years. In April 2015, Gadkari had said the project was likely to be completed by June that year.
Legal disputes and internal conflicts over land acquisition were among the reasons cited by Gadkari for the prolonged delay. Waterlogging in low-lying stretches, particularly during the monsoon, also affected construction work and road usability, although Gadkari had said these problems were limited in scope.
Forest clearances have posed another challenge. In March this year, Gadkari said some portions of the highway remained incomplete because they passed through forest areas.
“There are a few portions where roads are incomplete because they pass through forest areas. We are taking clarifications first-hand and resolving these issues in coordination with the concerned authorities,” he had said.
With his planned October inspection and refusal to attend the inauguration, Gadkari has made it clear that delays and poor workmanship on the project will not be treated lightly.
