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Road block disrupts traffic on NH at Padubidri

Protesting against delay in the work on fourlaning of the National Highway from Kundapur to Surathkal, the district JD(S) unit  staged a road block, near Padubidri on Wednesday.

The road was blocked for nearly half an hour due to protest from 11.30 am-12 noon, disrupting the movement of vehicles.National Highway Kundapur Sub-division Chief Engineer K M Hegde, who arrived at spot as the agitators demanded the representation of NHAI officials to listen to their grievances, said “the Navyug Company, which is carrying out the work on widening the NH had some internal and financial problems. The widening work on the NH 66 had stopped six months ago. However, the Company had promised to resume work by another one week”.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had served three legal notices to the company. If the company does not take up the work by March, the NHAI will take up stringent action against the company. There was no shortage of funds and funds are released to the company according to the progress of the work, he said.

Navyug Company officials also accompanied K M Hegde on the occasion.
The agitators shouted slogans against the government and urged government to accelerate the work.

District JD(S) President Deviprasad Shetty said that there had been a steep increase in the number of accidents taking place on the stretch, resulting in deaths and injuries. The incomplete widening work were responsible for accidents, he said.

He said that both the government and Navyug Company should be held responsible for the casualties.

He stressed that there was a need to improve the traffic flow on the stretch.
The diversions have no proper indicators. There are no signs that the company will restart the work.    

He said the work of widening the stretch would have been completed by this time, if the company had worked according to the proposed plan.

Shetty also stressed that government and concerned officials should take immediate steps to resume the work. He said although highway had been levelled in some places, there were sudden diversion, either to the left or to the right sides, confusing the drivers.
Former MLA Amarnath Shetty said, if the works are not resumed at the earliest, the JD(S) will intensify its protest.

The agitators submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Dr M T Reju through National Highway Kundapur Sub-division Chief Engineer K M Hegde during the protest.