Gadkari seeks Mamata's intervention to facilitate land acquisition for 20 NH projects in Bengal

Kolkata, Jan 1 (PTI) Union minister Nitin Gadkari has sought West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's intervention to facilitate land acquisition for 20 major national highway projects in the state, a senior official said on Wednesday.

In a letter to the CM, the Union minister of road transport and highways said these projects were facing "substantial delays" due to land acquisition issues.

He mentioned that nine projects are in the detailed project report (DPR) stage, while 11 projects, costing Rs 8,003.14 crore, are at various stages of implementation. However, the projects are delayed due to pending approvals from district authorities for critical activities such as land acquisition, forest clearance, and utility shifting, he wrote.

"I would be grateful if you could instruct the concerned Land Revenue, Forest and other authorities to provide all necessary clearances in a timely manner, enabling smooth project implementation without any unnecessary delays," Gadkari said in the letter.

He also emphasised that the projects could get momentum if the chief secretary convened regular review meetings involving all the stakeholders every month.

"I also request you to advise the chief secretary to convene a monthly review meeting with all stakeholders including representatives from my ministry and NHAI. This regular meeting will facilitate prompt resolution of pending issues with (a) focus on land acquisition, forest clearances and other critical matters'¦" Gadkari mentioned in his letter. PTI