People from Janardhanahalli near the Hemavathi backwaters are facing problems due to half laid bridge proposed to be built here at a cost of Rs 10 crores.
The tender was given by the Department of irrigation Goruru division for the project but while this newspaper contacted the officials from the department, they refused to give any detail on the project.
According to the local residents, the construction works of the bridge was started about 5 years ago. There were a lot of expectations attached to this bridge, especially by the farmer community as the bridge reduces the distance between Hassan and Kodagu’s Kodlipete by about 25 kmts, facilitating the farmers to send their produce to Hassan Market faster. The half way abandoned construction works has broken the hopes of the farmers here. The farmers from Kodlipete due to this have to travel 25 kmts extra to reach Hassan.
Good roads denied
Though the State Highway Development Authority has made a plan of repairing 3,411 kmts of roads in the State, Kodagu district has been completely excluded from the project, sources from the Public Works Department informed.
Even in the first phase of the project too, no road works were undertaken in the district and now even in the second phase, the district has been kept aside without including even 1 km of road in Kodagu district.
A officer from the department informed that the Shimoga-Talchery road works undertaken by National Highway Authority is designed to pass through Kodlipete, which will convert 71 kmts of the road into highway.