Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Jun 30: For the strict implementation of the traffic ban on national highway 48 for a month effective from today in view of the ongoing fly over work in the town, trucks carrying iron are being held up at Gundya. The meeting of the sub-transport authority chaired by Puttur assistant commissioner Dr Harish Kumar on Thursday last, had decided not to allow the movement of heavy vehicles including the ore trucks, on NH 48 from Gundya onwards towards Mangalore.  Light and transport vehicles have been allowed to move on Konaje Road and Tokkottu after taking a deviation at Melkar in Panemangalore.

Heavy vehicles carrying food items, medicines, cooking gas cylinders, petroleum products etc., are alone being allowed to ply on the deviation road, said Dr K Harish Kumar. The ban will be in force from June 30 to July 28. Even the gas bullet tankers are being sent back from the district border from the evening of June 29 onwards, he explained.

In the meanwhile, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel informed the reporters at Beltangady on Monday June 29, that discussions about the problems caused and solutions thereof, in respect of the issue of traffic blockade of NH 48 for a month would be discussed at a meeting of officials at B C Road at 3 pm on Tuesday June 30. "I have already spoken to the Chief Minister to increase the pace of the long-pending highway widening work. I have requested to allow the vehicles to ply on the service road, by sparing the highway for the repair works instead of enforcing a total ban on the traffic. As people are facing lot of problems to visit B C Road, Kateel asked the in-charge district deputy commissioner Prabhakar Sharma to allow at least light vehicles to ply to B C Road. There is a need to ensure that people going to schools, colleges, government offices etc., located at B C Road are not put into undue problems, he opined.

During the visit of Kateel to Beltangady community health centre, health officer Dr Adam complained that the centre has been upgraded but staff has not been provided. The hospital has no clerk, staff nurse and cooks. The 'D' grade employees are not obeying instructions, he said. The MP called up the office of the deputy commissioner and asked them to change the contractor and ensure that cleanliness is maintained in this hospital.