Sandesh Prabhudesai
1 July 1997
In order to facilitate the port activity with an inter-state road network, Goa government has decided to construct a highway for the Karnataka government on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis.
It is an inter-state highway between two states via Chorle ghat, which cuts down a distance to Belgaum. The proposal was pending for many years due to lukewarm response from Karnataka government.
Keeping in tune with the privatisation era, Karnataka chief minister J H Patel has now agreed to the proposal of his Goan counterpart, Pratapsing Rane, allowing another state government to construct the highway for his state.
"Karnataka has agreed to it in principle and the MoU will be signed shortly", says Rane. He however plans to auction its construction work to yet another private party, who will construct it on behalf of the Goa government.
Rane came forward with this unique proposal as Patel once again responded negatively to jointly construct the highway, due to paucity of funds. "It will cost hardly Rs three crore to construct the road in Karnataka region", he adds.
The state government has taken this initiative as the inter-state highway has a strategic importance in terms of its increasing port activity at the Mormugao Port Trust. Besides this, the state government is also planning to develop five minor ports in its Mandovi and Zuari rivers.
The Panaji port, adjacent to its capital city, is already loading local mineral ore for exports and downloads raw materials for few pig iron plants here. The RITES, on the other hand, is preparing a feasibility report to privatise all the five proposed mini ports.
The MPT, which was primarily utilised for mineral exports since Portuguese regime, is also going for vast expansion plans, changing its face to multi-commodity port. With the commissioning of Konkan railway, the port activity is expected to increase in leaps and bounds.
Envisaging a boom in trade and commercial activity in coming years, the government is planning a well-organised road network to link it to the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Maharashtra to facilitate the local port activity.
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