Karwar: Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Tuesday conducted an on-site inspection of the under-construction National Highway 766E between Kumta and Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district and came down heavily on the contractor and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials over prolonged delays in the project.

Accompanied by district in-charge minister Mankal Vaidya, Sirsi MLA Bhimanna Naik and Deputy Commissioner Lakshmi Priya, the Minister visited the Devimane Ghat section, including landslide-prone zones and a key bridge under construction. He expressed strong displeasure with RNS Infrastructure, the executing agency, for failing to complete the work despite all required land acquisition and forest clearances having been granted.

“Work has been underway for over a year, yet the road remains closed to traffic. Only four kilometres required acquisition, which is already completed. Even with no administrative hurdles, the bridge and road are still incomplete. This negligence is eroding public confidence in the government,” Byre Gowda said.

He further took officials to task for ignoring warnings on potential landslides and failing to construct protective retaining walls. The Minister instructed the district administration to initiate legal action against the contractor and responsible engineers.

The highway is considered a critical link connecting coastal Karnataka with interior regions of the Western Ghats.