Poor maintenance of NH4 from Belgaum to Dharwad

10:42 AM Posted by ukmad

Letter from R K Patil, Belgaum.


Any traveler taking NH4 from Kolhapur to Hubli can notice the difference between a quality of execution and maintenance of NH4 highway by two different establishments.

The project executed by Punj Lloyd bears the testimony to world class infrastructure while the part implemented by RN Shetty & Co. shows the sorry state of petty time contractor trying to get into big league.

The part of NH4 operated by Shetty's (Belgaum to Dharwad) has already developed serious problems (pot holes, water clogging, poor maintenance). I am attaching two pictures of the road taken at Mahantesh Nagar & Ashok Nagar junction where the road barricades have been uprooted by the lorry owner shops lying just next to service road. This is done so that the shop owner’s trucks do not end up in taking a long route to reach the shops. This has resulted in land slide at road side, water logging. In few days from now I am sure the roads will also starts giving away. Besides this it poses a great danger to speeding vehicles on NH4 who never expect vehicles to join or exit at this place!nh4-1nh4-2

I have brought this to the notice of the NH4 patrol and maintenance engineers stationed in Hubli (Mr. Ramanujam) and Belgaum (Mr. Jai Prakash). Looks even the NH4 authorities are least bothered about this.

Travelers on Belgaum stretch can see a lot of pot holes and trenches on NH4 stretch that runs between Belgaum and Halga, once again it looks the maintenance authorities are turning blind eye. Only when we start paying lower tolls for this stretch then the authorities might wake up.

rkpatil [at] vayavyalabs.com

Ceremony today Puja done yesterday: Suvarna soudha Details

10:05 AM Posted by ukmad




In a bizarre development, senior officials conducted some rituals at the site of the proposed “Suvarna Soudha”, one day before the date fixed for the function, reportedly following an advice by some astrologers.

Suvarna Soudha will have a central hall just like the parliament. Legislative assembly, council and cabinet halls, all will be in the same floor.

The new building would be built using large blocks of stones on the lines of Vidhana Soudha. Inspiration to have a central hall is drawn from the Parliament building to facilitate MLAs and MLCs to exchange ideas at a common place during legislature sessions. Even Vidhana Soudha lacks such an arrangement.


This is for the 2nd time the foundation stone will be laid in Belgaum for the Suvarna Soudha. In 2006 Kumarswamy had laid it in Vaccine Depot in a hurry and later due to pressure from the public the venue was shifted to the present Halga-Bastwad village.

The Soudha will come up in an elevated portion of the land on 120 acres at estimated cost of Rs 230 crore. The proposed Soudha would be a four-storied building, including the ground floor. The second floor will have rooms to accommodate ministers and personal staff, secretaries and other offices. The ground floor will contain a banquet hall, library, conference hall, canteen, post office and a bank. The pillars would be designed in Corinthian columns. The assembly, council and cabinet halls will be in the third floor. It will take two years for the project to complete.


Source: The Hindu
TOI

Belgaum Suvarna Soudha foundation stone ceremony tomorrow

12:38 PM Posted by ukmad


Belgaum Suvarna Soudha foundation stone ceremony tomorrow
The Suvarna Soudha to be built at Halga Bastwad will at last begin with the foundation stone ceremony tomorrow at the site at 11 am.
The artistic view of the same in the picture.
The official invitation for the same can be seen here.

Farmers ready to give land for Suvarna Vidhan Soudha

10:49 AM Posted by ukmad

Farmers ready to give land for Suvarna Vidhan Soudha
Halga-Bastwad, the place where the Suvarna Vidhan Soudha will be built on 112 acres, the farmers have at last given their nod for acquiring their land but at a price not less than Rs. 13.5 lakh an acre.
Government has proposed to acquire more than 100 acres of land in Survey Number 63 of Halga-Bastwad villages on Pune-Bangalore National Highway No 4 about 12 km from the city to build the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha.
The land with black cotton soil is under agriculture/horticulture.
The Government had agreed to pay a compensation of Rs. 12 lakh an acre, the farmers sought at least Rs. 15 lakh an acre as they would not get alternative land at the same price. Also, many growers would lose their only source of income. The Government would distribute compensation amount within two weeks of acquiring their land.
Source The Hindu

Vidhana Soudha: Farmers asking for more compensation

10:08 AM Posted by ukmad

The delay in taking up work on the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha building in Belgaum city is likely to lead to cost escalation, considering the increase in the prices of construction material in the past two years.
The prices of construction material have gone up by 10 to 15 per cent in the wholesale as well as retail markets during the past two years.
Added to the cost escalation factor is the fact that the farmers, who had given consent to handing over their land to the Government to set up the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, are now demanding four times the price they quoted last year.
The farmers of Halaga, the new site situated on the Pune-Bangalore Express Highway that was unanimously chosen by the high-level committee headed by Speaker Jagadish Shettar recently, have given written consent to hand over 60 acres of their land to facilitate the establishment of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha.
The government offer for one acre of land was around Rs. 5 lakh, while the market value was much high. The cost of the land in and around Halaga would shoot up once construction work on the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha commences.

The actual estimates for the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha were not ready even though the Government invited tenders in September last, he said. The farmers, who had agreed for Rs. 5 lakh an acre more than a year ago when Halaga was one of the three venues proposed for setting up the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, were demanding at least Rs. 20 lakh an acre now.

Building of the Vidhan Soudha does not seem to be an easy task. Where ever the site is chosen there have been protests, against it from the farmers of that area. The government should solve the issue amicably with the farmers, as it is the question of their livelihood.

All the best to the Government.
See Original Story The Hindu

Belgaum Suvarna Soudha at Halga:Suspense over

10:19 AM Posted by ukmad

A Legislature Committee headed by Speaker Jagadish Shettar has identified a site near Halaga Bastawad near Belgaum to construct the proposed Suvarna Soudha.

Shettar said the site near Halga Bastawad off NH-4 is ideal location in all aspects, including safety and connectivity. Farmers in the area too have agreed to hand over their land for the purpose, he stated.

Shettar said, as Vaccine Depot is located in the heart of the city; construction of Suvarna Soudha will lead to congestion & people in and around the area the depot would have been badly affected by this project. Hence, a new place was identified on the city outskirts, he pointed out.

At last, the suspense over the Site of the Suvarna soudha is over and we could now expect the construction work to begin in a couple of months. 150 acres is required for the soudha and they have identified the entire area.

See original story in Deccan Herald
Belgaum,news,suvarna soudha,halga,vidhan soudha,

Where do you want the Vidhan Soudha in Belgaum: Poll Results

10:48 PM Posted by ukmad


A poll(offline and online) was being conducted by Mr. Rajeev Topannavar. This site had also the said poll link. Here are the results of the said poll.
Tomorrow the committee constituted by the CM for site selection of vidhana soudha building is coming to Belgaum where this report will be submitted to them.

34% of the people who voted in the poll want the site to be Halga, next choice is Sambra followed by Vaccine Depot.
And I have fulfilled my promise made earlier that I will see that this site gets the results first.


Vidhan Soudha at Halga or Khamkharhatti

8:33 AM Posted by ukmad

MP Suresh Angadi yesterday said that the Vidhan Soudha be built near the highway and the decision of not building on the Vaccine Depot is the right one.

He further said that it be built in Halga or Khamkharhatti. He added building the Vidhan soudha in a densely populated area will cause more problems to the general public and also more traffic chaos on the already chaotic Khanapur Road.

Belgaum ring road: Still a Dream

1:30 PM Posted by ukmad

Belgaum ring road planned in two phases.
1) Hindalga-Peeranwadi-Halga
2) Hindalga-Kakti-Halga

Total ring road length 38 kms.
Ring road breadth 100 feet
285 acres of land needed
Rs.1425 lakh for land acquisition
Ring road total expenditure Rs.30 crores

10 years ago, the plan for the ring road was prepared. Imagine, since ten years nothing has happened on ground; only papers have changed places and this road, which will be a boon to traffic, will remain a dream.

A jaipur-based company was allotted the contract for the project but it was cancelled and a new process for obtaining was commenced.

The BUDA chairman has attributed the cause for this delay to the elections. A state run enterprise is likely to do the said project this time.

May it be a state run enterprise or a private company, Belgaumites need that ring road as the movement of heavy vehicles will be diverted on to the new road giving the regular traffic some more space on the roads.

This road can avoid the enormous accidents that happen on the Udyambag road. In addition, vehicles going to Goa from Kolhapur etc can directly take the new road and avoid heavy traffic in city limits. It is the case with people from Goa to Kolhapur, if they divert from Peeranwadi they will join the NH 4 at Kakti. Towards Bangalore, you can join Halga on NH 4.

Pray to Lord that, this present govt will look into this and by the time they finish the full term we would be plying on the Ring Road.