Nitin Gadkari Warns Punjab CM Over 'Attacks' On NHAI Officials In Jalandhar, Ludhiana: 'If Situation Does Not Improve...'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Union Minister Nitin Gadkari wrote to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann flagging alleged attacks on engineers and contractors working on Jalandhar, Ludhiana. In his letter, Gadkari has warned that NHAI would have not other option but to cancel or terminate their highway projects in Punjab with total length of 293 km costing ₹14,288 crore, if their CM Mann-led Punjab government does not take immediate corrective measures.

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“I request that the State Government immediately take corrective measures, file FIRs and take strong action against the perpetrators in order to prevent such incidents in future and to restore the confidence of NHAI officers and staff of the concessionaires.” BJP MP from Nagpur, Nitin Gadkari wrote in his letter to Punjab Government.

Gadkari said that he had been informed about two incidents which occurred recently on the Delhi-Katra Expressway projects. "In one incident in Jalandhar district, the engineer of the contractor was brutally assaulted. Although FIR has been registered in this regard, strong action is required to be taken against the perpetrators," Gadkari wrote in his letter dated August 9.

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Nitin Gadkari highlighted a troubling incident in Ludhiana district, where miscreants attacked the project camp of the Delhi-Katra Expressway contractor and threatened to burn both the camp and its staff alive.

However, FIR has still not been filed and miscreants have not been arrested despite written requests by NHAI officials, he said. Gadkari also attached photos of assault in his communication to the Punjab CM.

Gadkari said:“If the situation does not improve, NHAI will have no other option but to cancel/terminate 8 other severely affected projects with total length of 293 km costing ₹14,288 crore. These are mainly greenfield corridors and even cancelling one package will render the entire corridor useless.”

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Gadkari noted that ongoing issues with land acquisition and law and order have led several contractors to request contract terminations and file claims against the NHAI. The minister revealed that the NHAI has already terminated three projects, amounting to ₹3,263 crore, due to land availability challenges.

Referring to the recent review of NH projects on July 15, which he chaired, Gadkari said he was assured that pending issues related to land acquisition and law and order would be resolved on a priority basis.

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Gadkari urged the state government to immediately take corrective measures, file FIR and take strong actions against the perpetrators in order to prevent such incidents in future and to restore the confidence of NHAI officials and staff of the concessionaires.

NHAI is developing greenfield and brownfield national highway corridors including Delhi-Katra Expressway in Punjab.

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