Gadkari Urges Punjab Government to Address Attacks on NHAI Engineers

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has raised serious concerns over recent attacks on engineers and contractors linked to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in Jalandhar and Ludhiana. In a letter addressed to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Gadkari detailed two violent incidents involving the Delhi-Katra Expressway projects. One incident involved the brutal assault of a contractor’s engineer in Jalandhar, while another saw miscreants attack a project camp in Ludhiana, threatening to burn it down.

Gadkari called for immediate action from the Punjab government, urging the registration of FIRs and stringent measures against those responsible for these attacks. He emphasized that restoring confidence among NHAI officials and staff is crucial, warning that unresolved issues related to land acquisition and law and order could lead to the cancellation of eight major projects worth ₹14,288 crore.

In response, Punjab Inspector General of Police Sukhchain Singh Gill assured that the situation is under control, with a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the incidents. Gill confirmed that FIRs have been filed and that the law and order situation is being closely monitored by the Chief Minister’s office, with additional security measures for NHAI if required.

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