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Road Development

‘Orphan road’ to get a makeover

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Hindustan Times 10.12.2009

‘Orphan road’ to get a makeover

'Anaath (Orphan) Road', a key thoroughfare in Millennium City Gurgaon, has finally got a guardian angel.

The Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) recently took over this road along with 40 others from the Public Works Department (PWD).

And soon, it is getting a complete makeover.

"Next week, work will start on the road. It will be a 10-metre wide road. It will be probably cemented," said VK Gupta, engineer-in-Chief, MCG.

This road in Sector 18 hogged the headlines after HT highlighted its condition and how no government department was willing to own it.

Major corporate and multinational offices such as Siemens, Pearl Pet, HCL, Tupperware, Lumax, Orient Craft, Agilent Technologies, Munjal Showa are located on both sides.

Residents and corporates fought for this 2.5-km-long road for about six years and then christened it 'Anaath (Orphan) Road' on April 30.

In the parliamentary polls in May, the road became an issue with corporates appealing to their employees to boycott the elections.

Just 180 metres are in a motorable condition and the rest was totally useless.

After HT highlighted the bad condition of the road, former finance minister Birender Singh intervened and the road was handed over to the PWD.

However, the going was not easy, as the PWD had handed over all its 40 roads, but this one, to the MCG.

"PWD officials said only their department would construct this road for reasons known to them. We took the matter to Finance Commissioner (Town & Country Planning) S.S. Dhillon who intervened and ordered transfer of this road to MCG," said an industrialist on the condition of anonymity.

Superintending engineer PWD, RS Yadav, refused to comment on the issue.

Last Updated on Thursday, 10 December 2009 11:04
 

Upgrading of 141-km road to cost Rs. 240 cr.

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The Hindu 08.12.2009

Upgrading of 141-km road to cost Rs. 240 cr.

Special Correspondent

Waghdhari-Ripponpalli highway will connect three neighbouring States

 


Government has agreed to contribute more funds for the project: Patil

The road passes through Gulbarga and is a link to Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh


Gulbarga: The former Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council B.R. Patil has said that the proposal for the development and upgrading of the interstate highway connecting Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh passing through Gulbarga district from Waghdhari in Maharashtra to Ripponpalli in Andhra Pradesh has reached a decisive stage. Once it gets the Government’s nod, arrangements for funds to take up the project would be made. Denying the allegations of the Aland MLA Subash Guttedar that he (Mr. Patil) was creating hurdles for the upgrade of the Waghdhari-Ripponpalli interstate highway, Mr. Patil told presspersons here on Monday that when he was an MLA he had taken up the issue with the then Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. He had requested him to give approval for the proposal.

Mr. Patil said it was Mr. Siddaramaiah who ordered the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd. to assign the work of conducting a survey and to an agency.

The then Government had asked the corporation to prepare a project report to upgrade the road under the Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) model. A sum of Rs. 60 lakh was paid by the Government to a particular agency to conduct the survey and prepare the project report, claimed Mr. Patil.

Later, according to him, the Government had floated tenders thrice but no contractor had come forward to take up the construction of the road under the BOT. The organisations that evinced interest in the project demanded that the State Government bear the total cost of the project. The Government has now agreed to increase its contribution through Viability Gap Funding (VGP) for the project, thus clearing the last hurdle for the work to be taken up, he added.

Mr. Patil added that three three companies, including Hyderabad-based GVR Company and MRM Company and the Chennai-based Pratisha Company have evinced interest in taking up the work. They have sent proposals to the Government. He added that the technical bid for the upgrade of the Waghdari-Ripponpalli interstate highway was completed and only the financial bid has to be taken up. Mr Patil said that the financial bid would be taken up after the clearance by the high power committee headed by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa. The upgrade of the 141-km highway is estimated to cost Rs. 240 crore, he added.

Alliance views

In reply to a query, Mr. Patil said that the Congress should not have formed an alliance with the JD (S) for contesting Legislative Council poll from local authorities’ constituencies. However, he added that he would campaign with JD (S) leaders and abide by the directions of the party high command in this matter.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 08 December 2009 06:50
 

Hosur Road elevated corridor now ready

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The New Indian Express 07.12.2009

Hosur Road elevated corridor now ready





BANGALORE: The elevated expressway between Central Silk Board Junction and Electronic city is now almost ready and according to sources the promoters are trying to get Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to inaugurate it.

The elevated highway is being promoted by Bangalore Elevated Tollway Limited (BETL) and was supposed to be completed by March 2009.

Sources say the delay in completing the project happened because Maytas Infra Ltd, one of the partners of BETL, was facing a financial crisis for sometime and there was a delay in acquiring the land for the project.

The highway, a first of its kind in the state, is one of the longest elevated highways in India.

The four-lane-elevated highway, which has a length of 10 km and is 15 metres wide will Rs 880 crore.

It will ensure unhindered and signal-free travel on both the directions.

The promoters are planning to charge Rs 10 for a two-wheeler, Rs 30 for a car and Rs 80 for a bus for using the highway once in any direction.

At present, lighting works and minor construction activities are going on. One of the ramps that connects the highway to Neelsandra road is under construction.

The elevated corridor will be declared ready for use after the National Highway Authority of India and an independent consultant certify it ready for use.

The government has entrusted the task of maintaining the entire stretch of road from Attibele to Silk Board Junction to BETL.

The BETL is also constructing a flyover each at Chandapura and Attibelle and both of them are expected to be completed in another five months. BETL will also be charging a user fee for using the road.

Last Updated on Monday, 07 December 2009 10:07
 


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