Gadkari says road project delayed due to objections of Defence Ministry

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said that Defence Ministry has stopped the work on the road project linking Nagpur passing through Kamptee Cantonment.

He said that the contractor engaged in this project was made to flee, even though he had gone to the spot after getting clearances from the high-level.

Gadkari also referred to the delay in getting various clearances and said that the atmosphere was such that people did not push for completing work but wanted to stop it.

He was answering to a question raised by Shiv Sena member Arvind Swant about road concerning Kumptee cantonment.

He said Defence Ministry raised a "compound wall" at Kamptee Cantonment.

"Once the compound wall raised, their landmark has ended. The land is of NHAI. The defence (ministry) has stopped work for one year. We said why did you not construct boundary ahead if it was your land," he said.

He said meetings were held after photographs were taken and concerned authorities agreed for starting the work but when the contractor went there, the personnel came with a gun and made him flee.

The minister said he has given these subjects to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for the past one-and-a-half months.

He also referred to the efforts made to procure land to expand at Dhalakuan and also recalled efforts of then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

"It is not an appropriate word, but 'kitne papad belne pade' (we had to slog it out)," he said.

Gadkari said the work is getting delayed even though the government was the same.

He said a delay in land acquisition increases the cost of projects.

"The contractor cannot work in the air. It takes six-six months for permission to cut trees... the atmosphere is that nobody comes to you saying do the work but they do come to stop it," he said.

Gadkari, who is a Member of Parliament from Nagpur, said he cannot state what all efforts he has made for the project.

However, he said road project will start and all encroachments will be removed.

Answering another question, he said there were problems concerning land acquisition for a road linking Mumbai to Goa. However, he said land acquisition has been almost finished and the work will be completed in one year.

( With inputs from ANI )