PANAJI
A joint representation of the business community in Goa and Belagavi met Union minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari with a request to establish a smooth road connectivity between Goa and Karnataka.
The delegation was led by Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and Belgaum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) along with GCCI director Sanjay Amonkar.
The representation mainly highlighted the connecting road between the two States through Anmod Ghat (Mollem-Ramnagar-Belgaum) which is currently in unmotorable condition. The poor condition of the road disrupts the regular flow of traffic between the two states and affects business, stated the delegation.
“It adversely impacts the retail trade by significantly increasing logistic costs. Around 90 per cent of perishable items like vegetables, fruits, milk, groceries etc are brought from Belagavi surrounding areas to Goa on a daily basis by this very road,” stated GCCI, adding, “This puts an additional financial burden on the daily expenses of the people living in Goa.”
It was also mentioned that the disruption of traffic results in high costs to the consumers and loss in business to the farming community of the regions. Major traffic jams cause insurmountable delays in transport of frozen and perishable goods, it was informed.
The movement of goods for exports from Karnataka which happens through the Mormugao Port has come to a standstill due to this patch of bad road and has resulted in the stoppage of the container cargo movement through the Goa Port.
Hence the exporters from Belagavi are forced to use Mumbai port in spite of higher cost. Also, the businesses are forced to divert through Karwar which is a much longer route.
The repairs of Ramnagar-Anmod portion of the highway will increase the container volumes and make the movement of containers through the Goa Port viable for the shipping companies, and with reduced cost of transportation for the industry, explained GCCI. A proposal for widening of this road as a four lane has been submitted to the Union minister.
