Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, May 10: Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, Krishna J Palemar, said that the state government has decided to give its nod to acquire only 45 metre stretch for the widening of national highway 17 between Nantoor and Talapady. This has come as a big relief to hundreds of families living by the side of the national highway, who were worried about the prospect of losing their homes, as the highway department had proposed to acquire properties located on a stretch of 60 metres on both sides of the highway for widening.

He was speaking to the journalists during his visit to Kumpala near Ullal here for campaigning for the gram panchayat elections on Saturday May 8. The minister said that the National Highway Authority had planned to own discriminatory stand by demanding to acquire 60 metre-wide land on Nantoor-Talapady stretch of the highway, as against 45 metres it had acquired in other states.

“After discussing with the officials concerned, the state government has decided to prune down the acquisition to only 45 metres. Recommendations are being sent to the centre in this connection shortly,” he explained.