New Delhi: Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari has written a letter to Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann over alleged attacks on engineers and contractors of NHAI in Jalandhar, Ludhiana.
He said that if attacks didn’t stop, NHAI would have no other option but to cancel/terminate eight other severely affected projects with total length of 293 km costing 14,288 crore.
Attack on Delhi-Amritsar Katra Expressway
His ultimatum came amid reports of untoward incidents at the under construction Delhi-Amritsar Katra Expressway in Jalandhar.
“I request that the State Government immediately take corrective measures, file FIRs and take strong action against the perpetrators in order to prevent such incidents in future and to restore the confidence of NHAI officers and staff of the concessionaires,” reads the letter.
Issue of land acquisition
In his letter, he also raised the issues related to land acquisition.
“It is pertinent to note that due to pending issues related to land acquisition and the prevailing law & order conditions, concessionaires have requested to foreclose contracts and have raised claims against NHAI. If the situation does not improve, NHAI will have no other option but to cancel/ terminate 8 other severely affected projects with total length of 293 km costing 14,288 crore,” the letter read further.