Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari warns Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann

Chandigarh: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has warned him that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is poised to cancel eight major highway projects, valued at Rs 14,288 crore if the prevailing law and order situation in the state does not improve. The letter follows alarming reports of violence and intimidation related to the ongoing construction of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway.

The incidents include attacks on engineers and contractors in Jalandhar as well as threats made by miscreants in Ludhiana to harm project staff and facilities.

Union Minister Gadkari emphasised the critical nature of these projects, noting that they are Greenfield corridors.

“Cancelling even one package could render the entire stretch ineffective,” the Minister said. Tagging photographic evidence of recent assaults to underscore the urgency of the situation, Union Minister Gadkari outlined serious safety concerns affecting NHAI officials, contractors, and their teams, along with ongoing land acquisition challenges.

In a review meeting held on July 15, Union Minister Gadkari had received assurances from stakeholders that issues related to land acquisition and law enforcement would be prioritised.

However, he expressed his disappointment, saying, “No progress has been made, and the situation has further worsened.”

He said that due to unresolved land acquisition matters and deteriorating law and order, several concessionaires have sought to terminate their contracts and have raised claims against the NHAI. The NHAI has already terminated three projects, amounting to Rs 3,263 crore, due to land availability challenges. (IANS)

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