Ashamed of delays, won't join inauguration: Gadkari on Mumbai-Goa Highway expansion

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said he would not attend the inauguration of the widened Mumbai-Goa Highway after repeated delays. He said he will inspect the route in October and act against contractors and officials over poor execution.

In Short

• Nitin Gadkari feels ashamed over Mumbai-Goa Highway expansion delays
• He says will skip the highway inauguration due to prolonged work
• Plans to inspect the highway personally in October

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said he felt “ashamed” over the prolonged delays in widening the Mumbai-Goa Highway and announced that he would not attend the inauguration of the project when it is finally completed.

Speaking after inaugurating a six-lane elevated road corridor at Porvorim near Panaji on Wednesday, Gadkari said he had earlier decided against attending the inauguration because of the delay in completing the highway.

“I had announced (earlier) that I would not come for the inauguration of the (widened) Mumbai-Goa highway because I felt ashamed that it had been delayed so much,” he said.

The Union Minister said a meeting on the issue was held with officials on Tuesday and that he would personally inspect the highway in October.

“I would land at the Mumbai airport in October, and travel by road to Goa to personally inspect the highway and assess whether the journey has been made convenient for travellers,” he said.

Gadkari also said he wanted to “set a record” for blacklisting contractors and taking action against officials responsible for delays and poor execution of infrastructure projects.

“Now I want to set a record of blacklisting the maximum number of contractors and taking action against them, as well as suspending officials, within a year. I am not going to stop doing this now,” he said.

The widening of the 440-km Mumbai-Goa Highway has faced repeated delays despite years of work and substantial expenditure, with parts of the recently upgraded stretch developing potholes and surface damage after the first monsoon rains.

The highway continues to see diversions, waterlogging, repairs and traffic jams, even as toll collection began at the Kharpada toll plaza in May.

A monkey overpass built near Kannala Animal Sanctuary in 2021 has also collapsed, raising another safety concern along the route.

- Ends
(With PTI inputs)