Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Aug 3: The state Human Rights Commission has asked both the public works department and National Highways Authority of India to explain about the inordinate delay in completing the highway widening work from Suratkal to Bantwal. While agreeing that the widening of the highway was the right step, it resented the slow pace of work.

The Commission took this step, on the basis of a memorandum submitted by B Govindaraja Hegde, convener of 'Save National Highway' organization. In his memorandum, Hegde had said that there has been a large scale increase in the number of vehicles moving on the national highway and because of the movement of ore trucks, there has been a steep rise in the number of accidents. If the highway widening work is completed soon, the number of accidents can be brought down, he had argued. The letter pointed out, that out of about 50,000 vehicles that move on the highway, nearly 25% comprise of trucks with 10 or more wheels, he had claimed.

The Commission has asked the two addressees to explain the problems they have been facing in completing the road widening work on schedule.