Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Feb 21: On Friday February 20, the state high court issued notice to the under secretary in the department of rural development and panchayati raj relating to a petition which has accused the local MLA, K Vasant Bangera, of creating bottlenecks in the construction of bridge across Puttila rivulet at Bandaru village in the taluk. Bandaru gram panchayat member, Dinakaran Gowda, has filed this public interest litigation (PIL).

A division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice D H Waghela, and Justice Ram Mohan Reddy, also ordered issuance of notices to the director of Suvarna Gramodaya scheme and chief general manager of the regional office of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

The petitioner said that Bandaru village in Beltangady taluk has 150 houses and a population of over 2,000. Puttila rivulet runs across the road that connects the village to the taluk headquarters. As the rivulet does not have a bridge, the gram panchayat had decided to call for tender to conduct bridge construction at an estimated cost of Rs 1 crore,' he explained. He said that Vasant Bangera wrote to the rural development minister, H K Patil, seeking to put on hold work on the bridge, claiming that the bridge once constructed will benefit only a few houses. He had suggested to alternatively take up the work of asphalting Baipady-Bolody Road and bridge, he claimed.

The petitioner noted that the people of his village are now compelled to take a detour of 12 kilometers to reach Beltangady to access facilities like visiting temples, schools,hospitals etc are concerned. He said if the bridge is built, the taluk headquarters would be just two kilometers away from Bandaru.