Karwar: Uttara Kannada DC Dr Harish Kumar instructed the IRB officials to complete the ongoing national highway widening work in the coastal belt of the district as soon as possible. DC instructed the officials after paying visit to Kumta, Honnavar and Bhatkal to inspect highway works underway in this region.

On Wednesday, DC chaired a meeting in Kumta with Seabird and IRB officials and expressed his displeasure over the ongoing sluggish work. The number of divertions on the highway is increasing day by day due to which it can lead to cause accidents.

Road works in the diversion areas should be completed quickly, and care should be taken that normal life of the people shouldn't be affected in rainy season due to highway works. He suggested that the JCBs and Tippers should be allocated to certain areas until the rainy season is over, so that any kind of hazards can be avoided soon. The landlords who have lost their properties for highway have already been given with compensation. 

The land can be acquired from those who have settled the case, and the National Highway Authority and Assistant Commissioner of particular taluk should direct it to the IRB. 

He gave a deadline of four months to IRB to complete the work in Kumta region as the land acquisition on 18 locations have already been done. Also the land acquisition process in six locations in Honnavar and Bhatkal regions will be completed soon.

Referring to the progress of road works every month, he said that the Tahsildar and National Highway Authority officials should review the progress on land acquisition and compensation to the landlords atleast once in three months.

In the meeting, Kumta Assistant Commissioner Preeti Gehlot, Tahsildar Megharaj, NHAI official Naveen Kumar, IRB officials and Seabird officials were present.