Mangaluru: The much-touted flyover at Thokkottu on NH-66, the completion of which delayed for over eight years, was finally thrown open for the public on Thursday.
A part of Talapady-Kundapur four-laning project undertaken by Navayug Udupi Tollway Private Ltd, the flyover projects at Thokkottu and Pumpwell had been the focus of intense political fight between the BJP and Congress due to inordinate delay in its completion.
Acknowledging the delay, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, while inaugurating the flyover, asserted that it was due to technical reasons.
“Work on Thokkottu flyover had hit a roadblock since NUTPL incurred financial losses and finally the Union ministry of road transport and highways had to infuse funds in to the cash-strapped company to see the project through,” he said.
Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on February 28 had sent Vaibhav Dange, his personal secretary, to look into the problems pertaining to two flyovers that had set off political sparring between BJP and Congress. Axis Bank lent Rs 55 crore to NUTPL, concessionaire of the project, and NHAI provided Rs 7 crore to help finish the work.
Acknowledging the intervention of Gadkari to help expedite completion of the two flyovers, Nalin said Gadkari also ensured that legal issues were redressed in time to help NUTPL complete the project. There are a few issues regarding lack of service-roads and difficulty for vehicles proceeding towards Ullal at Thokkottu -end of the flyover, the MP said, adding this will be addressed amicably after discussing it with district minister UT Khader.
Incidentally, NUTPL, which bagged the contract for four-laning of the NH stretch from Talapady bordering Kerala up to Kundapur, initially executed the work including bridges at Mulki and Ullal a good speed till it ran into financial difficulties. As per the decision taken at the high-powered meeting on February 28, the work on Thokkottu flyover was supposed to be completed by April 10 and Pumpwell flyover by May 31.
A part of Talapady-Kundapur four-laning project undertaken by Navayug Udupi Tollway Private Ltd, the flyover projects at Thokkottu and Pumpwell had been the focus of intense political fight between the BJP and Congress due to inordinate delay in its completion.
Acknowledging the delay, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, while inaugurating the flyover, asserted that it was due to technical reasons.
“Work on Thokkottu flyover had hit a roadblock since NUTPL incurred financial losses and finally the Union ministry of road transport and highways had to infuse funds in to the cash-strapped company to see the project through,” he said.
Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on February 28 had sent Vaibhav Dange, his personal secretary, to look into the problems pertaining to two flyovers that had set off political sparring between BJP and Congress. Axis Bank lent Rs 55 crore to NUTPL, concessionaire of the project, and NHAI provided Rs 7 crore to help finish the work.
Acknowledging the intervention of Gadkari to help expedite completion of the two flyovers, Nalin said Gadkari also ensured that legal issues were redressed in time to help NUTPL complete the project. There are a few issues regarding lack of service-roads and difficulty for vehicles proceeding towards Ullal at Thokkottu -end of the flyover, the MP said, adding this will be addressed amicably after discussing it with district minister UT Khader.
Incidentally, NUTPL, which bagged the contract for four-laning of the NH stretch from Talapady bordering Kerala up to Kundapur, initially executed the work including bridges at Mulki and Ullal a good speed till it ran into financial difficulties. As per the decision taken at the high-powered meeting on February 28, the work on Thokkottu flyover was supposed to be completed by April 10 and Pumpwell flyover by May 31.
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