Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said he was ‘ashamed’ over the prolonged delay in widening the Mumbai-Goa Highway and reiterated that he would skip the road’s inauguration. Gadkari, however, said he would travel from Mumbai to Goa by road in October to personally inspect the highway and assess whether the project had improved the journey for motorists. He was speaking after inaugurating a six-lane elevated road corridor at Porvorim near Panaji in Goa. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Union Minister Shripad Naik, state Public Works Department Minister Digambar Kamat and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte were among those present at the event.
Gadkari To Personally Inspect Highway
Referring to the Mumbai-Goa Highway project, Gadkari said he had earlier announced that he would not attend its inauguration because of the extensive delays. “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 minister said a meeting was held with officials on Tuesday to review the issue. He added that he plans to land at Mumbai airport in October and travel by road to Goa to inspect the highway firsthand. “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,” Gadkari said.
Contractors Face Blacklisting Warning
Gadkari also warned that contractors and government officials responsible for delays and poor-quality infrastructure work would face strict action. He said he wanted to set a record by blacklisting the maximum number of contractors and suspending officials within a year. “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 Mumbai-Goa Highway widening project has faced repeated delays over the years, with the government previously setting multiple deadlines for completion. The highway is a crucial road link between Mumbai and Goa and is heavily used by commuters, tourists and freight vehicles, particularly during the festive and holiday seasons.
