Defence Min stalls NH117 expansion

Land acquisition problems have stalled the project to six-laning of National Highway 117 linking Kona Expressway, by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).

Unlike other projects in West Bengal, it was not the farming community that was holding up the project, but the defence ministry.

Speaking on the sidelines of an interactive seminar organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce, R P Singh, general manager & project director, NHAI, said, “NHAI required only around 2-3 hectares for the successful implementation of the project, but the area falls in defence land approaching Vidyasagar Setu, and due to security reasons, the ministry asked NHAI to take up the whole area, close to 50 acres, at a cost of close to Rs 1000 crore, according to rough estimations.”

The defence ministry demanded land of equivalent value in and around that area because of its strategic position, he claimed. NHAI had already written to the defence ministry seeking the land.

Meanwhile, the 53km, NH41 project from Kolaghat on NH6 to Haldia, a part of the port connectivity project, was awarded to an SPV formed by Dinesh Chandra R Agarwal Infracon Private Limited and CES(I) Limited.