The vital trade route between Belagavi and Goa, which facilitates the exchange of manufactured goods and daily supplies of vegetables, continues to suffer due to deteriorating road conditions and persistent harassment by enforcement authorities. The incomplete 10-km stretch from Anmod to Ramnagar and the worn-out Chorla Ghat road have become major bottlenecks, disrupting the smooth flow of goods between the two regions.
In response to these challenges, the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the Belgaum Chamber of Commerce and Industries recently held a bilateral meeting in Belagavi to discuss combined efforts for resolving these issues. “Goods traffic from Goa to Karnataka and vice versa is badly affected,” said Chandrakant Gawas, chairman of GCCI’s logistics committee. He noted that some Belagavi-based companies have ceased bringing in imported cargo from Goa’s port due to the poor road conditions, opting instead to shift their operations to Mangaluru.
As Goa’s Mopa airport aims to become a major logistics hub, Belagavi is simultaneously developing an IT park and a defence manufacturing complex, all of which demand reliable road connectivity. BJP MLA for Belagavi South, Abhay Patil, emphasized the urgency of addressing these infrastructure gaps and also discussed the possibility of widening the road between Mopa and Belagavi via the Tillari Ghat.
Patil also highlighted the issue of harassment by the police, stating that over 5,000 private vehicles travel from Goa to Belagavi for shopping each week, only to face undue scrutiny by traffic authorities. He has urged the Belagavi administration to put an end to such practices. Patil pointed out that Karnataka-registered vehicles face similar treatment in Goa, urging the GCCI to address this issue with Goan authorities.
Additionally, trucks transporting vegetables from Belagavi to Goa encounter harassment at entry points by Goan authorities, further complicating the trade dynamics between the two regions. The chambers have agreed to work together to find solutions that will ease these challenges and improve the flow of trade between Belagavi and Goa.
