The contractor responsible for delays in the construction of the Khanapur to Goa border stretch of National Highway 748 (earlier NH-4A) has been penalized ₹3.2 crore, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.
The minister stated that the highway upgrade spans 52 kilometers and involves widening the road into a two-lane highway with and without paved shoulders. The work, however, has been significantly delayed due to lapses on the contractor’s part. As of now, 72% of the work has been completed. Gadkari assured that the entire project is expected to be completed by March 2026.
Project Status:
- Belagavi–Khanapur Section (Package I):
- Length: 30 km
- Scope: 4-laning from Km 0.000 to Km 30.800
- Status: Completed
- Toll Collection: Ongoing at Ganebail toll plaza
- Contractor: M/s Ashoka Concessions Ltd.
- Khanapur–Anmod Section (Package II):
- Scope:
- 2-laning with paved shoulder: Km 30.800 to Km 70.800
- 2-laning without paved shoulder: Km 70.800 to Goa border at Km 84.120
- Status: Incomplete
- Scope:
Gadkari clarified that toll collection is currently active only in the completed Belagavi–Khanapur section. No user fee is being collected on the Khanapur–Anmod stretch as the work is still underway.
The project, initially sanctioned in 2018 at ₹486.78 crore, faced major delays after the Karnataka High Court imposed a stay on construction in 2019, following a petition by environmental groups from Bengaluru concerned about ecological damage in the Western Ghats region. The stay has since been lifted, and the Centre has now sanctioned ₹4,000 crore to ensure the project’s completion.
Once fully operational, the upgraded NH-748 is expected to significantly boost connectivity between Karnataka and Goa, easing travel and freight movement across the Western Ghats.
Source: Prajavani