Karnataka - Mangalore   

Ministry likely to decide on pending road contract

MANGALORE: Ministry of Surface Transport and Highways has asked the chief engineer of Public Works Department to go there with “a letter of recommendation from Government of Karnataka” for approving the pending tender proposal on repair of 27-km stretch on Shiradi Ghat Road.

Sources in the Mangalore Division of National Highways told The Hindu that the chief engineer and other officials might be going to Delhi on November 29.

With this development, it is hoped that the repair of the entire stretch could be completed by June next. Hitherto, uncertainty was hanging over the commencement of the work on 27-km stretch. So long as this stretch from 237th km to 264th km is not repaired, travelling on the ghat section will be a nightmare. Of this, a 3 km stretch will be concreted and the rest asphalted.

The tender approval has not been solved because only one contractor has offered to take up the repair of 27-km stretch. He has quoted 26 per cent higher than the scheduled rates.

When preparing the original estimate in 2006, the State Government had estimated the cost at Rs. 14 crore and revised it in 2007 to Rs. 17 crore going by the market conditions. The lone contractor who responded to the tender call has quoted 26 per cent more than the revised estimate of 2007. It means that the contractor is demanding Rs. 21 crore more to repair the stretch.

There are several stretches on NH 17 and NH 48 coming under the Mangalore division which have not been asphalted since 2003-04 owing to paucity of funds.

The division has sent proposals to the Ministry to take up asphalting of some stretches, according to the sources. It has sent a proposal to asphalt 46-km stretch from 263 km to 309 km, between Amai bridge and Gundya forest gate on NH 48, at a cost of Rs. 21.5 crore. Proposals have also been sent to the Ministry for asphalting a 15 km stretch in Shiroor area on NH 17 from 241 km to 256 km stone, and a 10 km stretch between Udyavara bridge and Padubidri, also on NH 17 (between 331 km and 341 km) at Rs. 14 crore.

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