Centre is committed to bringing down road accidents on national highways, says Joshi

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi commits to reducing road accidents on national highways, sanctions underpass project at Noolvi Cross.

Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi has said that the Union government is committed to bringing down the number of road accidents on national highways by taking corrective measures.

He was speaking to presspersons after performing bhoomi puja for the construction of an underpass across Pune-Bengaluru National Highway (NH-48) at a cost of ₹12.5 crore near Noolvi Cross in Hubballi taluk of Dharwad district on Monday.

Mr. Joshi said that in order to reduce casualties on the Noolvi-Belagali Cross on the national highway, the Centre has sanctioned the underpass project and the bhoomi puja was performed on Monday.

If people are facing any problem, it will be addressed after thorough verification, he said.

Mr. Joshi said that during the UPA regime, contractors fled before completing work on the four-lane stretch on NH-48, but after Nitin Gadkari became Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, corrective measures have been taken, while the road has been widened as a six-lane stretch.

Although before the work on the six-lane road started the department invited objections and suggestions from the public, not many came forward. After completion of the work, as the road became wider and smooth, speeding became an issue causing accidents at various places, he said.

Based on the request of the people, underpasses were constructed at several places and similarly, the underpass project at Noolvi Cross has been sanctioned, he said.