Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Apr 1: If everything had gone ahead as planned, the flyover work here should have been completed and the road should have opened for vehicular traffic on April 1. The deadlines fixed many times earlier were not met citing different reasons. This time, the reason cited is shortage of crushed stones. The deadline has therefore been extended by two weeks.

The highway work here has been going on for the last ten years. Later, a flyover proposal at Shastri Circle was mooted. Original plan was modified and additional grants were released. After the work started, discussions about the Basrur underpass facility were held. After realising that the underpass had not been part of the original plan by mistake, the work went on very slow.

Many agitations had been undertaken to express anguish at the delay. People's representatives convene meetings. After the then deputy commissioner (DC) of the district, Priyanka Mary Francis, current DC G Jagadeesha, and assistant commissioners, Bhoobalan and K Raju, showed interest, and as they pursued the work with interest and filed case against the contractor, some urgency was noticed inroad works. If the other officials who came in between had shown interest, the work would have gained speed long back.

The work of providing iron fencing on both sides of the highway and one side of the service road is in progress from Koteshwar to Vinayaka talkies here. Heavy vehicles can take deviation to service road only at Basrur junction and Shastri Circle. This effectively blocks the entry of people who have no prior plans of visiting the town. This can affect economic interests of the town, many feel.

The mock inaugural that was planned to be staged on April 1 was not held as permission was denied citing COVID situation. Leader of the opposition in the town municipality here, Chandrashekhar Kharvi, said that it was planned to hold Bhajans and mock inaugural as already announced if the flyover was not completed by March 31, which was the latest of various deadlines given in the past. Kharvi said that he has learnt that the work will be completed in two weeks.