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Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday laid the foundation stones for 26 National Highway projects spread across 925 km worth Rs 12,795 crore in Karnataka in the presence of the state Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and others were also present on the occasion. "Roads are not just meant for transport connectivity, they supplement economic, cultural and agricultural growth too," the Chief Minister said. The Union and State governments should work together for the development of roads, said the Chief Minister expressing his readiness to offer goods and service tax (GST) and royalty exemption for cement, steel and other construction materials if the Union government could bear 25 per cent of the land acquisition cost for the projects. "A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be signed in this regard soon," he said. The state government is ready to offer similar concessions in implementing the Bangalore Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) project in Bengaluru and projects in cities like Gulbarga and Belagavi, Bommai added. Praising the work of the Union minister, Bommai said, "Gadkari has made an immense contribution to the development of northern Karnataka. The completion of four-lane Hospet-Hubballi highway and Chitradurga-Hubballi highway has brought big relief from the problems and accidents for the people in this region." (ANI)
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