BHUBANESWAR: Finance Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei has sought Centre’s clearance to take up four-laning of 52-km stretch of the Chandikhol-Mangalpur National Highway (NH) by the State Government. In a letter to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways CP Joshi, the Finance Minister said the State Government should be allowed to recoup the investment through collection of toll in case the Centre does not take up the project.Ghadei said widening of the stretch of the NH is important as it directly connects mining belts, coal blocks and Kalinga Nagar industrial complex. There is heavy traffic on the road as thousands of loaded trucks are plying across Sukinda mining belt, Keonjhar mining region, Kalinga Nagar industrial complex and Talcher coal belt every day, he said.The Finance Minister said if the part of the NH __ Chandikhol to Talcher via Duburi __ is improved to four- lane corridor, traffic congestion and frequent accidents will be reduced to a great extent. It will ease the problem of vehicular movement, caused by heavy pressure of mineral-carrying trucks commuting to Paradip Port, Dhamra Port and different destinations in the country, he said. Ghadei has requested the Union Minister to consider the proposal positively in the greater interest of the people of the State.The stretch of the NH-200 from Chandikhol to Talcher via Duburi was approved by the Centre for improvement to four-lane corridor. But the project remains non-starter since 2007.
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