Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Jul 14: In a big relief to the highway users, Kundapur assistant commissioner K N Ramesh declared that the movement of ore-laden trucks on national highway 17 in the district will be banned temporarily for three months, with effect from Friday July 17. He said, this decision was taken at a meeting held with the district in-charge minister, peoples' representatives and officials. He was addressing a consultative meeting with the general public, held at Nagur Srikrishna Lalita Kalamandir near Byndoor on Monday July 13.

On the occasion, the people placed before their demands like for banning the movement of ore trucks, closing down of Ottinene way bridge because of the rampant corruptive practices, stopping the trucks from being driven by cleaners and conductors and to withdraw cases filed against people who are accused of causing disturbances after an ore truck killed four people travelling in an auto rickshaw recently, before the peoples' representatives and the assistant commissioner. They also asked the government to extend assistance to Vani, who survived the above accident and is recuperating in a hospital but is in need of prolonged and costly treatment to be able to lead normal life again.

MLA K Lakshminarayan, former MLA Gopal Poojary, taluk panchayat member Sadashiv Paduvari, Prakashchandra Shetty, zilla panchayat former president Raju Poojary, taluk panchayat former president Raju Devadiga, zilla panchayat member Madan Kumar, Sharada Bijur, Bhojaraj Shetty and Suresh Shetty spoke on the occasion.

At the meeting, the people of the area warned that they will undertake 'Urulu Seve (lying on the ground and rolling over the body to move ahead)' from Shirur to the office of Udupi district deputy commissioner from August 1 to 8, if the ore trucks  movement on the highway  is not banned from July 15 onwards.