Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Public Works Govind Karjol has said that due to the heavy downpour and floods in the Bombay Karnataka region from July to October, the Public Works Department had incurred losses to the tune of ₹ 3,500 crore.
Speaking to presspersons after a review meeting in Dharwad recently, Mr. Karjol said that while similar natural calamity had caused losses to the tune of ₹ 7,000 crore last year, this year again many roads and bridges had been washed away amounting to the loss.
The State government had already sanctioned ₹ 1,350 crore, including ₹ 750 crore sanctioned last year, as temporary relief. Already, works on pothole-filling had been completed on a total road stretch of 7,348 km and officials had been asked to expedite the work and complete it by December 31, he said.
In the North zone covering districts in Bombay Karnataka region, 1,939 km of Major District Roads had been upgraded to State Highways, while 4,303 km rural roads have been upgraded to Major District Roads, Mr. Karjol said.
In Dharwad district, during 2019-20, 835 works worth ₹ 202 crore had been taken up, of which 831 works worth ₹ 162 crore had been completed “This year, 2,333 km of road and 456 bridges have been extensively damaged in Dharwad district. A sum of ₹ 254 crore was sanctioned as first instalment and 77 % of the works has been completed. An additional ₹ 300 crore will be sanctioned shortly,” he said.
To a query, Mr. Karjol said that 990 junior engineers and assistant engineer posts had fallen vacant and the government would hire young engineering graduates and diploma holders. In the North zone, 350 graduates would be hired through outsourcing and a government agency will be identified soon for appointment, he added.
Mr. Karjol further said that the department had decided to hand over the maintenance of Inspection Bungalows in tourist destinations to the KSTDC, but circuit houses which had been newly constructed or renovated would remain under the Public Works Department.
He also said that the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the construction of Vijayapura Airport at a estimated cost of ₹ 220 crore would be held in the first week of January.
