No ring road till 40km highway done: Centre

Panaji: Nine years after the four- and six-laning of highways in Goa first started in 2016, 40km of expansion is yet to start. On CM Pramod Sawant’s request, Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari had approved a Rs 15,000 crore ring road project for Goa.

However, ministry officials have now told Goa it can’t go ahead with this project until the remaining 40km of highway work is done.The purpose of the ring road project is to allow heavy vehicles moving from one state to another through Goa to continue their journey without adding to traffic congestion in the state. It was approved by Gadkari in Dec 2022, but it later came to the notice of ministry officials that the 40km of highway work is yet to be completed.“There is no deadline as such for completing the highway expansion works in Goa. The work began around Oct 2016. The expansion was as per the study carried out to accommodate the projected traffic up to 2030. In 2025, Goa still has stretches along Cuncolim, Canacona, Bhoma, and Ponda which are either yet to be taken up, or construction is yet to begin,” said a source.By 2030, another assessment will be due vehicle density in Goa, which will allow planning for further expansion.

“Goa has received harsh comments in a letter from the ministry now, stating that it can take up the ring road project work only after its balance highway expansion is completed,” said the source.Officials said that highway expansion work in Goa was hit due to delay in land acquisition, public protests against the work because of various reasons and demands for elevated corridors, and other changes in the project scope.“In the initial period itself, when highway expansion was taken up, the ministry pointed out in its audit that land acquisition delays was hitting the work very badly, and that work was taken up without acquiring at least 90% of the right of way area, as required by the ministry. It was then decided by then chief minister Manohar Parrikar to start work wherever land was available, till other parts were acquired. Contractors also take advantage of the lapses of PWD as they get advantage of project cost escalation if work is delayed,” said the source.