Union Minister Nitin Gadkari called the Mumbai-Goa highway delay shameful and vowed strict action
PANAJI: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the delay in widening the Mumbai-Goa highway was “shameful” and vowed strict action against contractors and officials responsible for delays and shoddy execution of infrastructure projects. Gadkari said he would not attend the inauguration of the widened Mumbai-Goa highway, saying he felt “ashamed” that the project had been delayed for so long. “I had announced (earlier) that I would not come for the inauguration of the (widened) Mumbai-Goa highway because I felt ashamed that it had been delayed so much,” he said. The minister said he would instead travel from Mumbai to Goa by road in October to personally inspect the highway and assess whether the journey had been made convenient for travellers. “I would land at the Mumbai airport in October, and travel by road to Goa to personally inspect the highway and assess whether the journey has been made convenient for travellers,” Gadkari said.
He said a meeting on the issue was held with officials on Tuesday.
Earlier reporting noted: To make good on his warning, the Union road transport and highways minister announced he would inspect the entire length of the Mumbai-Goa road work in October.
He urged the state government to make the entire highway a “green highway” and suggested developing it on the lines of an “oxygen park”. Earlier reporting noted: Simultaneously, strict action against contractors and officials responsible for delays and shoddy work on infrastructure projects would continue, Nitin Gadkari said Simultaneously, strict action against contractors and officials responsible for delays and shoddy work on infrastructure projects would continue, Nitin Gadkari said Earlier reporting noted: Union minister Nitin Gadkari has given the clearest warning of no tolerance for delay in major infrastructure projects after seeing the snail’s pace at which the Mumbai-Goa highway widening work has been going on. The minister further called for scientific landscaping along the highway instead of arbitrary tree plantation by contractors. In addition to that, Gadkari delivered a final message to contractors to fall in line: he would not attend the inauguration of the project.