Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Aug 16: Various organizations have decided to block vehicular traffic on Suratkal-Mangalore Refinery and Chemicals Ltd (MRPL) road on Thursday August 19, in protest against the apathy of the city corporation towards its maintenance and repairs. A release said that Young Boys Kana, Torpedoes Kana, Suratkal Tourist Car Owners and Drivers Association, Suratkal Sumo Taxi Drivers and Owners Association, Best Eleven Kana, Rickshaw Owners Association Suratkal, Katla Friends and several other organizations have pledged support to the proposed blockade.

A memorandum presented on behalf of these organizations said that vehicular traffic on this stretch of the road has become very problematic, and demanded for the repair works of the road to be undertaken immediately. They pointed out that during the term of the previous mayor of the local city corporation, Shankar Bhat, it was announced that this road would be developed at a cost of Rs 30 crore. Allegedly, the condition of the road turned worse, as the officials did not attend to the repairs of this road, as they thought that the road is being widened, and they reckoned that repairing it would be a wasteful exercise.

Sources in the city corporation said that the deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada district has already sought a sum of Rs 28 crore for widening this road, which he has asked to be funded at the rate of Rs 14 crore each by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd and MRPL. They added that discussions on this topic are scheduled to be held on September 6, and they expect an agreement to be reached in the meeting to release the funds in phases depending on the progress of the widening project of the said road.