Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – (NR)

Mangalore, Nov 24:  Road expansion and asphalting is going on in full swing at Bejai in the city, since the past few months. However, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corpn (KSRTC) which owns the land adjacent to the road, is not willing to part with any more land to the city corporation, the MCC widening the roads at Bejai. In support of this move, the staff of KSRTC in large numbers marched to the spot here on Friday, Nov 23 to prevent the corporation officials from demolishing any structures on that route.

In fact, the KSRTC divisional controller also came there to stop and protest against the MCC plans to change the alignment and topography of the said road. The KSRTC staff was against the fact that the new plan would chip off at least three metres of KSRTC land along the road. They were angry at no prior notice given to them by MCC regarding the new realignment of roads. Moreover according to KSRTC officials and employees till date they had already given away three-and-half metres of its road for widening purpose.

Even after doing the needful now, the MCC has sprung up with a new plan of action. The original central alignment has changed by which the KSRTC stands to lose an additional three metres of their land, they rued. This they opined would affect their parking place and hence they were in no mood to concede to this unreasonable demand, many of them complained.

The KSRTC higher officials say that they have brought the whole matter to the notice of the deputy commissioner, superintendent of police and the MCC commissioner and also to the higher authorities of the city transport corporation. In fact they were adamant about not deviating from their stand on not giving any more land to the MCC. This stand-off continued till evening after which the MCC officials conceded to continue with the old alignment.