The Union minister of roads and transport Nitin Gadkari in a two-page explosive letter to the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has accused Shiv Sena’s elected representatives and local workers of obstructing the national highway works in the state. Gadkari warned that if the local Shiv Sena leaders and workers continue to spread terror and harass officials and contractors, the ministry will have to think seriously before clearing national highway projects in Maharashtra.
Taking a serious note of Gadkari’s letter bomb, Thackeray has directed the state Director General of Police to conduct an inquiry and report to the government on action taken in this regard. This is for the first time Gadkari has targeted BJP’s estranged ally Shiv Sena for putting up roadblocks in the completion of national highway projects in the state. Gadkari’s scathing letter also came days after Thackeray showered praise on the former for his enterprising nature and passion for development in the ace of all odds.
Gadkari has expressed five major concerns. ‘’Four lanes of 202 km National Highway Akola and Nanded are being constructed in four packages. Package-2 from Gedshi to Washim also includes construction of a bypass (length 12 km) for Washim city. However, I have been told that the Shiv Sena’s elected representatives have stopped the work on the bypass and the main road.’’ Further, the contractor has been barred from completing the bridge over the Penganga river and when the contractor started work, the Shiv Sena workers issued threats to him. In such a situation, the contractor has been asked to finalise the work.
Gadkari said the ministry had undertaken Rs 135 crore repair work of the Pulgaon-Karanja-Malegaon-Mehkar-Sindkhedraja National Highway which is in very bad condition. The work in all other places is complete, except for that in Washim Lok Sabha constituency. ‘’I was informed that the work in Washim district, especially on the road passing through Selu Bazar village, was stopped by Shiv Sena workers. As the contractor resumed work as per the demand of the people in the area and since the road was is in a dangerous condition, Shiv Sena workers set on fire machinery and created panic among the officers-employees-workers of the contractor. So, that work has stopped again,’’ he added.
‘’In the above conditions, how can the work on the National Highways in Washim district continue? Our ministry is seriously examining this issue. If these works are finalized in the condition they are in, they will be hazardous for transportation. The number of accidents will increase and so will the public dissatisfaction,’’ said Gadkari.
‘’If this continues, our Ministry will have to reconsider approving works on National Highways in Maharashtra,’’ he warned, saying that ultimately Maharashtra and the people will suffer.
However, Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant has criticized Gadkari for blaming the party as a whole, adding that he should have avoided that as the cases he was referring to were pertaining to certain areas. Sawant, without naming the BJP, claimed that its workers have been allegedly involved in blackmailing, mudslinging and creating terror during the ongoing construction of Mumbai Goa highway. ‘’Why are you silent on that? Those who have been involved in this are now with you today,’’ he noted.
On the other hand, the state Congress chief Nana Patole lashed out at Gadkari asking him why he has targeted Shiv Sena now. ‘’The Shiv Sena and the BJP were together for 25 years. Didn't Gadkari know how the Shiv Sena works then? Now, at whose behest has Gadkari written the letter to the Chief Minister?’’ he asked.
