BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has taken strong exception to the alleged callous approach of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in improving two important National Highways (NHs) connecting mineral-rich Keonjhar district and industrial hub Angul district.Although the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRT&H) had sanctioned four-laning of the two NHs in May last year, the NHAI is yet to commence roadworks. Besides, the Centre has stopped providing annual funds for maintenance of the two roads.Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday shot off a letter to Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways CP Joshi requesting financial assistance for repair and maintenance of the two NHs."While the improvement works have not been taken up by the NHAI, the Ministry has stopped providing funds for the maintenance of the two roads since May 2010,’’ Naveen said in the letter.The MoRT&H entrusted the job to widen NH-215 between Panikoili and Remuli and NH-200 from Chandikhole to Talcher to NHAI. However, the work is hanging fire even after more than a year. The Centre has not made any budgetary provision for the development of the two NHs.The condition of the two NHs has gone from bad to worse causing serious inconvenience to commuters and posing problems for vehicular traffic. The NH-215, considered to be the lifeline of Keonjhar, has become a virtual deathtrap for commuters. Due to delay in four-laning the NH and construction of bypass roads in various parts of the NH by the NHAI, more than 500 persons have died in road accidents in the last six years.As trucks are getting stranded on the NH during daytime, traffic snarl-ups are commonplace.The Centre declared the stretch from Panikoili of Jajpur district to Rajamunda of Sundargarh district passing through Keonjhar as NH-215 in 1999.
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