‘Land acquisition, increase in width delayed construction of bridge’

‘Land acquisition, increase in width delayed construction of bridge’

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Feb 1,2017:  President of the Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC) Meenakshi Bannanje said on Tuesday that land acquisition process and increase in the width had delayed the construction of the Malpe-Padukere bridge.

Addressing presspersons here, Ms. Bannanje said that the company to construct the bridge, Yojaka India Pvt. India, was selected after tenders were floated for the fourth time. When this company began the construction of the bridge, Assembly elections were declared and the Congress government came to power in 2013. Pramod Madhwaraj, who was elected as MLA from Udupi, decided that payment should be made to the company on the basis of the progress of the work. The payment of bills began in November, 2013. The width of the bridge was increased from 4.25 metres to 5.25 metres to facilitate better movement of traffic. The original plan did not have any mention of contact or approach roads on either sides of the bridge. Hence, it became necessary to acquire land on either sides of the bridge by giving adequate compensation to the land owners. This delayed the work by a few months.

The stalled work began in at the end of 2014. Because of the high tides in the sea, the work got delayed later. In order to hasten the construction, a Project Monitoring Committee under Mr. Madhwaraj was created. The cost of construction of the bridge which was earlier estimated at Rs. 13.5 crore later increased to Rs. 18.9 crore. As Minister of State for Fisheries, Youth Services and Sports, Mr. Madhwaraj had done his best to expedite the payment of remaining amount to the company. He had already directed the company to complete the construction of the bridge in 15 days. The CMC was also spending Rs. 2.8 lakh to lay water supply pipeline along the bridge and Rs. 7 lakh to install lamps on the bridge.

Instead of appreciating the work done, the former MLA and BJP leader, K. Raghupati Bhat, was trying to politicise the issue, Ms. Bannanje said.

Courtesy: The Hindu