Silvester D'Souza (SP)

Daijiworld Media Network - Byndoor (SP)

Byndoor, Jul 24: The underpass work across national highway 66 between Lord Agastheshwara Temple and government higher primary school at Kirimanjeshwara near here, which had been taken up two years back and then suspended on account of pressure exerted by some groups which were opposing the underpass and others which favoured it, began with police protection on Monday July 23.

Kundapur sub-divisional officer, T Bhoobalan, had visited the spot on Monday. Leaders of factions which are opposing the plan like Ramachandra, Nanu D Chandan and others argued with the officer, claiming that building of underpass here will have adverse effects on the Dalit families living on the western side of the highway and their temple there will also encounter certain issues.

They felt that this is not an ideal spot for the underpass as there are no commercial operations or dense population near the area. They said that the service road will not have drains on both the sides at this spot because of the underpass construction, as a result of which water which gets accumulate here will enter the houses of people living next to the road.

They gave the example of Navunda village where such a problem has been encountered near the underpass. On the basis of these things, they argued with the official to choose an alternative spot for locating the underpass. But the sub-divisional officer said that no change in the plan would be possible at this stage as National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has taken the decision to construct underpass at this particular spot.

In the past, whenever the contractors took up the underpass construction, the locals used to hold protest. One of the protesting groups was led by Dalit Sangharsha Samiti. The Samiti leaders had submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner of the district, besides securing a letter in their favour from MP, B S Yeddyurappa, and submitting the letter to Mangaluru office of NHAI. The other faction had submitted its request directly to the office of the Prime Minister. The secretariat thereafter had directed the concerned to execute work as per the original plan.

Already some work on the underpass had been undertaken in the past. Even after lapse of considerable time, NHAI had not agreed to change its stand on the issue. As the prolonged uncertainty was affecting the overall progress of highway work in the region, the contractors had decided to continue the partially completed work here. As they expected trouble in view of controversy about the underpass, the contractors had sought police protection. Therefore, Kundapur deputy superintendent of police, Dinesh Kumar, had arrived at the spot. Local police circle inspector, Parameshwar Gunaga, sub-inspector, Thimmesh B N Kollur, sub inspector Shivakumar M C, other police personnel and a team of district armed police were deployed to see that no trouble erupts. The work went ahead smoothly without any untoward incident thereafter.