MUMBAI: Will the Centre take strict action against the

residents who, allegedly with the backing of local politicians, have stalled work on the 701km concretized Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg (prosperity corridor), also called

supercommunication highway, since the last six months?

The pet project of former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will connect 10 districts, 26 talukas and 392 villages to reduce the current travel time between the two cities to eight hours from the current 15-16 hours. But work has come to a standstill on the 64km stretch between Vashala and Bhiwandi in Thane district as local youths have allegedly vandalised machinery and manhandled contractors and workers on several occasions in the last six months. Last month, an FIR was registered at Shahapur police station. The locals want the government to sub-contract work for this stretch to them, said MSRDC sources.

With Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari asking the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to look into complaints from contractors, especially in Maharashtra, that a few MPs and MLAs were blackmailing construction firms carrying out road works, thus delaying the work and causing huge losses, the contractors hope they will get some respite. Sources said the decision to approach the investigation agencies to conduct raids and unearth alleged corrupt practices was taken on Monday after the minister held a meeting with officials in Delhi.

Owing to the agitation, the Rs 55,000-crore project has incurred losses of over Rs 350 crore over the last six months, considering that each day’s loss is around Rs 2 crore, said technocrats attached to the project.

No work has been carried out on this 64km stretch in Thane district even as an average 22% work has been completed on the remaining 15 stretches. Sources said supervisors and workers were quitting owing to extortion threats. Justifying the agitation, BJP MP from Bhiwandi Kapil Patil said Gadkari’s statement is against those politicians who are pressuring contractors for money, but their demand is for work for locals who have given up their land for the project. Patil added that the local residents were demanding unskilled labour jobs and the contractors should allow it.

The superhighway is being built in 16 stretches through engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts after tenders were invited, as per procedure. Sources pointed out that as this is not a regular road work, unskilled labourers cannot be engaged for the job.