Silvester D’Souza

Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Feb 5: DYFI staged mass protests under the leadership of its taluk committee in association with Kundapur taluk auto rickshaw owners and drivers association (CITU) on NH66 urging to open an underpass from Shastri circle to Basrur Moorkai and T T road for traffic. They also urged to provide a way for pedestrians in front of the KEB office.

CITU district secretary, Suresh Kallagara said, "Progress of the four-lane work in Kundapur shows that the contractors have grown stronger than the government. People in Kundapur are facing hardships due to the failure of elected representatives and officials in the district. The works that are in progress here are posing acute problems for citizens. The road at Gandhi maidan is closed without making way for traffic at two underpasses. There are schools, government offices and Bobbayya temple in the vicinity. How will the students go to schools? Don’t the officials have common sense?"

CITU district president K Shanker, said,"The workers are controlling the administration here. People have to go around unnecessarily covering a distance of three or four kilometres. The road at Gandhi maidan should have been closed only after opening two underpasses. Large scale protests will be inevitable if the problems are not solved."

CITU taluk convener, H Narasimha said, "People here, are experiencing inconvenience rather than a convenience due to the works. The service road is congested. Pedestrians are unable to walk there. Nobody has the time to listen to the grievances of people. There is a need for a solution for the problem that is being faced now."

Kundapur taluk working journalist’s association president, Shashidhar Hemmady said, "The government could have constructed a flyover from KSRTC bus stand to Vinayaka if it had made up its mind. The negligence of the concerned people's representatives has caused unscientific works. People need to be determined that the MP be personally present here and solve the problems."

Kundapur municipal councillor, Chandrashekar Kharvi, Kundapur taluk auto rickshaw and vehicle drivers association chief secretary, Raju Devadiga, Chandrashekar V, CITU’s Mahabala Vaderahobali, Balakrishna Shetty, community organization’s Balakrishna K, Janavadi Mahila Sanghatane’s Arati, Sheelavati, Adivasi Sanghatane’s Sridhar Nada, Nagarathna Nada, DYFI’s Ganesh Das, Kiran, Ravi, Beedi Workers Organization’s Balkisa Banu and others were present.

DYFI president, Rajesh Vaderahobali welcomed the gathering and delivered the keynote address terming that the work is being performed, here, forgetting the wellbeing of the people.

A rally was held here, prior to the mass protests. A memorandum of demands was submitted to the assistant commissioner and deputy commissioner at the end of the protests.