*Transport minister announces Rs 2800 crore for Belagavi ring road project *
Belagavi: Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari announced a total of 13 national highway projects on Friday. One among these projects is Ring Road of Benahavis. In this project, it is proposed to develop a 69 kilometres ring road in the cost of Rs 2800 crore. For North Karnataka alone, construction of 847 kilometres national highway is proposed in the estimation cost of Rs 21,000 crore.
Minister Gadkari announced these highway projects during foundation stone laying ceremony of Elevated corridor at Rani Channamma circle in Hubballi and road overbridge at Bedathi village in Kalaghatagi taluk recently.
What more happiness brought to the Belagavi is that highway projects worth Rs 15,995 crore are sanctioned to Belagavi district. The much-awaited 69 kilometres ring road project is one among them.
325 kilometres Belagavi-Hunagund-Raichur four Lane Highway Road in the cost of Rs 12500 crore, widening of Chikkodi-Nippani(NH60) in the cost of Rs 145 crore, 89 kilometres Sankeshwar-Muragundi(NH548) road to be developed in the cost of Rs 550 crore said minister Nitin Gadkari during the ceremony.
*Ring road project may face farmers stir *
As per the project insight, over a thousand farmers from 33 villages of Belagavi taluk will lose more than 435 hectares of agricultural land for this project. Most of the lands are very fertile and irrigated. Farmers grow two crops in Kharif and Rabi seasons and it is the only source for their survival.
Initially, the project seen huge oppose and objections from farmers when primary notices were served to them. Later the government officials tried to pressurize the farmers but not succeeded. Many farmers have already moved to the court seeking justice. Their argument is to acquire the none fertile, barren land by modifying the ring road project. But, the authority has stuck to its plan.