JOIN USPublic Works Department Minister C M Udasi on Friday faced the ire of legislators cutting across party affiliations over the poor condition of the State highways and district roads.
The minister faced a volley of complaints on bad roads during the Question Hour in the Legislative Assembly. Congress legislator Prakash Hukkeri staged a dharna in the well of the House as he was not satisfied with the minister’s reply on developing a road in his Chikkodi constituency.
While protesting against the bad condition of the Mudhol-Mahalingapura-Kobbur-Chikkodi-Nippani roads, Hukkeri sought to know why the PWD had dropped the stretches from the Karnataka State Highway Improvement Project (KSHIP-2).
Udasi said the road development work, to be taken up under annuity basis, would be completed only by the end of this year. Angered, Hukkeri rushed to the well of the House, and pleaded Speaker K G Bopaiah with folded hands to intervene and direct the minister to take immediate steps to repair the roads. “I urge you (Speaker) to direct the minister to take up the work immediately. The road is in tatters. People are suffering there,” he said.
The member withdrew his protest when Law Minister S Suresh Kumar assured him that the PWD minister would take immediate action.
BJP legislator Shankarlinge Gowda said the Mysore-Bogadi Road was so bad that pregnant women delivered babies prematurely while travelling along the route. “I am not joking, it is a fact. A road does not exist on this route. Udasi may be a nice person, but he is of little use,” he said.
Senior leader T B Jayachandra said the problem was not confined to Chikkodi and Chamaraja constituencies. A majority of roads in the State have become unmotorable and need immediate repair.
Udasi claimed steps had been initiated to repair roads and nearly 90 per cent of potholes had been filled across the State. Members cutting across party lines stoutly contested his claim and asked him to take a ride on the roads in their constituencies to get a first-hand feel of their bad condition.