Mangalore: Locals led by BJP Yuva Morcha protest against poor condition of road

Mohan Kuthar
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (EP)

Mangalore, Nov 13: Locals and auto rickshaw drivers led by BJP Yuva Morcha on Wednesday, November 13 held a protest to urging repair of the dug-up road from Thokottu to Babbukatte. Protestors blocked traffic for sometime to stress their point.

Addressing the protestors, former MLA Jayaram Shetty expressed anguish at the condition of road from Thokottu to Babbukatte which he said has deteriorated due to indifference of the state government and officials. He said that the pathetic condition of the road was detrimental to the health and lives of people.

"Though ADB had made payment to the public works department (PWD) in February itself, the work has not started even after so many months. The promise made by the officials six months ago has not been fulfilled. The health minister who participates in several programmes here has continued to ignore the condition of road," he alleged.

Satish Kumpala, member of taluk panchayat said that the road which joins several prestigious education institutions and hospitals is not attended to even after several months. "The orders by district incharge minister during the recent KDB meeting at the zilla panchayat have also been ignored. There is no value for the orders of district incharge minister and the minister of health," he said.

Mangalore area BJP president Chandrashekar Uchil, Yuvamorcha president Jeevan Kumar Thokkottu, former Zilla panchayat president Sushma Janardhan, former municipal council member Lalitha Sunder, BJP leader Ravindra Raj Ullal, Mahalaxmi, Yuvamorcha chief secretary Manoj Acharya, Yuvamorcha Zilla vice president Gopinath Bigambila, Area secretary Yashwanth Ameen, Sanjeev Shetty Amblamogaru, area leaders Dayananda Thokkottu, Harish Amblamogaru, Premnath Putran, Prashanth Gatty, Krishna Shetty, Prakash Singhoni, Purushotham Kallapu, Sachin Shetty, Suresh Alva, Parthasarathi, Anil Bigambila, Ramesh Kondana, Ananda Shetty, Narayana B, Navin Padalpadi, Dayananda of Thokkottu auto riksha owners and drivers association, Gangadhar Gatty, Rafiq Mundoli, Uday, Vinod Kerebailu, Ananda, Laxman, Dinesh T and others were present.

Ten days' deadline

Traffic was blocked for 30 minutes demanding repairs to the road. UGD official Srirangaraju and assistant engineer Shobha came to the spot. The protesters demanded that the road be repaired within ten days without any excuses. The officials said that PWD officials alone can assure it and it is not in their hands, which angered the protestors. PWD engineer Dayanand then arrived at the spot and the the protesters again put forth their demand.

The PWD engineer then promised to start the work on November 25 and complete it within the next ten days. The protesters threatened that they would block traffic for an entire day if their demand was not met.

The road from Thokkottu to Babbukatte was dug up about a year ago but it was not repaired. A protest was also held in Chembugudde about six months ago by blocking traffic. The matter was discussed in the municipal council meeting. The minister who had inspected the road in June, had ordered to start repairs within a week but the officials were postponing the work making excuses of rain.