BANGALORE: Work on the Bangalore-Mysore highway, which is being made a four-lane road, will be completed by September 30, a week ahead of the Dasara festival.

Minister for Public Works and Energy H.D. Revanna told presspersons here on Tuesday that the highway will be ready by the deadline specified by the Government to the contractor concerned. Nine major bridges, including those across the Shimsha and the Cauvery, however, will be ready only by December.

He said that on certain stretches of the road, particularly in the vicinity of Kengeri and Maddur, work has been going on round the clock for nearly a week. Despite the deadline given for completing work on the highway, the quality of work has not suffered. The commissioning of the widened highway is expected to reduce the travelling time between the two cities to about two hours.

Second phase

Detailed project reports for undertaking the second phase of the Karnataka State Highways Improvement Project are ready, and the proposal will be placed before the Cabinet shortly its approval, Mr. Revanna said. The proposal will then be sent to the Union Government, which will forward it to the World Bank. The bank is expected to extend financial assistance for the Rs. 3,000-crore project. Nearly 3,000 km of State highways will be upgraded under the scheme.

Under the first phase of the State Highways Improvement Project, the World Bank extended assistance of Rs. 2,030 crores to upgrade 2,300 km. The project was implemented when Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh was the Public Works Minister in the S.M. Krishna government. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by August 2006.

Mr. Revanna said the recent heavy rain in several districts of the State has damaged roads. He has asked Mr. Singh and Finance Minister P.G.R. Sindhia for special grants for the repair of such roads. The rainfall has also damaged electricity substations and power lines. While the Public Works Department has sought a grant of Rs. 209 crores, Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. has sought Rs. 93 crores. The Finance Minister wanted details of the repairs proposed to be undertaken, and the Public Works and Energy departments are compiling the details, he said.

Mr. Revanna said he has constituted several teams of retired Energy Department engineers to assist the Government in preparing detailed project reports aimed at upgrading substations and power lines.

Although there are 600 substations in the State, nearly 100 of them are unable to handle heavy loads. Thus, despite a policy decision to ensure continuous power supply in rural areas, it could not be implemented, he said.

AHINDA meet

The Minister declined to respond to the attacks on the party leadership at the AHINDA convention in Hassan on Monday.

Asked about the growing political animosity in his home district, Hassan, following the AHINDA convention organised by the ousted Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday, Mr. Revanna said he does not want to respond to frivolous allegations levelled by what he called disgruntled politicians.

It is unfortunate that the Congress party in Hassan district has surrendered to the AHINDA movement and its leaders, he said, adding that it is for the Congress High Command to initiate action against such leaders who have sacrificed the interests of the party to serve their selfish ends.

Development works

Mr. Revanna said he has promoted several development works in Hassan district, and it is for the people to judge him. The four-laning of the Bangalore-Hassan section of the National Highway or the completion of the Bangalore-Hassan-Mangalore railway line are not meant to suit the convenience of the Deve Gowda family but for the benefit of the people at large.

"I am not in politics with the support of crutches. I have come up with the support extended by the voters of my constituency. I was first elected to the local milk society in Hassan in 1978, and although I could have been the chairman of the zilla panchayat in 1985, a candidate from an oppressed section was preferred," he said.

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