Earlier, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari took concern with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann regarding recent incidents of violent attacks on NHAI employees. Formal communication was made by Gadkari in which horrific attacks on engineers and contractors involved in highway projects in Jalandhar and Ludhiana were reported, having severe effects and deep concerns about the Punjab government’s intervention.
Two headline-worthy incidents that Gadkari had mentioned referred to the Delhi-Katra Expressway projects. In the first case, an engineer of the company working for a contractor in the Jalandhar District was severely beaten by some men. The second one took place in the Ludhiana district in which the project camp of the contractor of the Delhi-Katra Expressway was assaulted. To enforce their demands, the attackers warned that they would burn the camp and kill the engineers and staff.
In the minister’s letter, the element of concern was underlined calling for the implementation of corrective measures since the Punjab government has not acted in the right manner. Some of these are the registering of First Information Reports (FIRs) and taking severe action against all responsible for the attacks. According to Gadkari, such actions are necessary to rebuild the confidence of the NHAI functionaries and the staff of the concessionaires engaged in the revival of the highway development projects.
Gadkari also let the ministry know that because of issues like land acquisition and the worsening law and order, concessionaires have sought to close contracts and compensation claims against NHAI. He said that eight other sensitive NHAI projects may have to be canceled or terminated if the situation does not change. These undertakings extend 293 kilometers and imply a commitment of ₹ 14,288 crore.
As the Union Minister emphatically exhibits, there is a dire need for better security solutions and addressing of such active problems for the unhampered continuation of significant infrastructural development in Punjab.
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