Work in progress on the bypass between Halga and Macche along the Belagavi-Panaji NH748A. Louis Rodrigues
THE GOAN NETWORK
BELAGAVI
A major roadblock in completing the 7-kms Halga-Mache bypass on the Belagavi- Panaji NH748A has been cleared as petition filed by farmers has been dismissed.
Agitating farmers had been demanding the withdrawal of the highway and that no traffic should be allowed on this road till the bypass’s zero-point was finalised.
The bypass controversy took a pivotal turn when the Seventh Additional Civil Court dismissed a petition filed by farmers on Tuesday. This decision removes a significant roadblock for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), enabling faster construction of the bypass.
Adding context to dispute, on Monday, NHAI Special Land acquisition officer for NHAI Balram Chavan and his team inspected the bypass site to address survey irregularities.
The inspection, conducted in the presence of farmer leaders, aimed to resolve concerns raised by affected landowners. Key issues highlighted included discrepancies in the earlier survey and compensation provided only to a single individual, leaving other farmers uncompensated.
Farmer leader Raju Marve presented the grievances, pointing out errors in the survey process. One affected farmer directly voiced his concerns to the visiting officials, underscoring the need for transparency and fairness. Chavan assured the farmers that all mistakes would be promptly rectified.
While the court’s ruling paves the way for the bypass work to progress, the farmers plan to challenge the verdict in a higher civil court within a month. The coming weeks will reveal if their efforts succeed in balancing developmental needs with justice for affected landowners.
Meanwhile, work on the bypass has been accelerated after the court verdict paving way for the faster implementation of the bypass easing out traffic congestion in Belagavi city and saving time of commuters between Goa to Pune, Hyderabad and Dharwad.
