Mangalore, Jun 22 (The Hindu): The district administration has sent a proposal to the Government for a bypass connecting Surathkal and Talapady, so that vehicles can avoid this stretch of National Highway 17, according to Deputy Commissioner V. Ponnuraj.

Stating this at a meeting to review the progress of development works in the district, he said the proposed 30-km-long., 45-m wide bypass would pass through Kotekar, Konaje, Adyar and Maravoor. It would also connect the industrial hubs in Mangalore and ease the traffic congestion on the stretch between Talapady and Surathkal. The proposal was before the national highways division under the Public Works Department, he said.

Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada J. Krishna Palemar presided over the meeting.

U.T. Khader, MLA, said that there was another proposal before the Union Government to widen the existing Melkar Junction-Mudipu-Konaje-Thokkottu Junction Road. B. Ramanath Rai, MLA for Bantwal, said that he had learnt from sources that the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Kamal Nath, was likely to approve this proposal.

Mr. Khader said that the district administration should urge the Union Government to restrict the width of the Melkar Junction-Thokkottu Junction Road to 30 m. If widened to 40 m, many people would lose their property. Mr. Ponnuraj said that the purpose of widening the road was to create an alternative to the BC Road-Mangalore stretch on NH 48. Mr. Khader alleged that some industrial interests were behind the move to widen this road. These industries were least bothered about the common people losing their properties.

Referring to concreted roads in the city, Mr. Khader said that the Mangalore City Corporation authorities did not appear to be interested in setting right the uneven approaches from tarred roads to the concreted ones. Mr. Palemar asked the Joint Commissioner of the corporation, M.V. Gadkar to soon lay inter-locks along such stretches and intersections wherever necessary, the Minister said.