Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has written a stern letter to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, warning that eight major highway projects in the state, valued at approximately Rs 14,288 crore, will be cancelled if the prevailing law and order situation in the state does not improve.
The letter follows reports of violence and intimidation of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) workers involved in the ongoing construction of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway.
Gadkari cited incidents of alleged attacks on engineers and contractors in Jalandhar and threats issued to them in Ludhiana to harm project staff and facilities.
“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 another incident in Ludhiana District, the Project camp of the Contractor of Delhi-Katra Expressway was attacked by miscreants, who also threatened the engineers to burn the project camp and their staff alive. However, FIR has still not been filed and the miscreants have not been arrested despite written request by NHAI officers,”.
The Union Minister urged the state government to take immediate corrective measures, file FIRs, and take strong action against the perpetrators to prevent such incidents in the future.
Gadkari also expressed disappointment that despite assurances from stakeholders during a review meeting on July 15, no progress has been made on land acquisition for key projects, and the law and order situation has further worsened.
He noted that several concessionaires have sought to terminate their contracts and have raised claims against the NHAI due to unresolved land acquisition matters and deteriorating law and order.
In response, Punjab Minister Aman Arora disputed Gadkari’s claims, stating that the law and order situation in Punjab is “absolutely fine.”
“The central government will have to explain on what basis it is saying that the law and order situation is not good,” Arora said.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema also reacted sharply. “BJP hates Punjab because of Punjab farmers had played a crucial role in farmers’ agitation. Mr Nitin Gadkari shouldn’t make such claims,” he said.
Source Agencies
