Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Sep 23: The contractors, who have undertaken development work of the state highway stretch between Mani and Sampaje, are in a tight spot now. The widening of this 72-km highway, which is already in the backlog, has been suffering because of shortage of crushed stones.

As against 8.5 lac tonnes of crushed stones required for this work, the contractors have been able to procure only 50,000 tonnes, which is sufficient for only five km of the highway. As such, the work on the highway has come to a standstill, and the contractors are paying a fine of three lac rupees per day to Karnatala Road Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL).

For the road work, three crusher units had been selected, and purchase agreements had been entered into. However, the locals are protesting against these units, as trucks carrying crushed stones damage village roads. This has resulted in acute shortage of material for the road work.

Although the contractors have kept everything ready to continue work, they have become helpless because of the above unexpected development. The officials of KRDCL have also appraised the concerned of the above problem.