The Save National Highway-17 Committee in association with Canara Bus Owners Association will hold National Highway 17, 63, 206, 48 and 13 bundh on January 23.

Addressing a press meet on Wednesday, Canara Bus Owners Association President Rajavarma Ballal said the National Highways, state highways and interior roads are in deplorable condition. As a result, the mishaps are also increasing. The NH stretches will be blocked in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts.

He said “we have made several representation to the Centre to repair the roads. No action has been taken so far in this regard.”

Deputy Commissioners of all the three districts have been informed regarding the blocking of NH stretches. About 72 officials concerned of the three districts have been intimated with the proposal, he added.

Convener of the Committee B Govindraj Hegde said as per the available information, between 1999 and 2009, 4,98,416 vehicles have been registered in Mangalore, Puttur and Udupi RTOs. With this, RTOs have collected Rs 736,47,30,708 income.  In the last 10 years, 2,519 people have been killed in road accidents in Dakshina Kannada district.
Lorry, taxi owners Association have also extended their support to the bundh.

The demands include immediate completion of fourlaning of B C Road to Surathkal stretch. The PR works of the original NH-48 stretch from B C Road to Mangalore should be finished at the earliest. Toll gate should be introduced at NITK area as against the proposed design of MCF junction. Immediate execution of the proposed four laning of NH-17 stretching from Surathkal to Kundapur, flyovers at the major junctions are some other demands. Fair compensation should be given to the evacuees in the acquisition process, and a public information cell should be set up for the purpose. Concreting works at Shiradi Ghat should start immediately. The Ghats like Gerusoppa, Shiradi, Bisle, Huleekal, Sampaje and Devimane that exist in three districts should be renovated following ‘Khandala Ghat’ pattern. All the adjoining State Highways and rural stretches should be upgraded, they demanded.

Rs 11.68 cr released

Based on the letter written by Union Minister for Law Veerappa Moily to Union Minister for Road Transport Kamalnath, a sum of Rs 11.68 crore has been released for repairing NH 17. This include improvement of three stretches from km 10 to 17.2, km 302 to 315, km 341to 352.

The bundh will not affect supply of essential commodities like milk, newspapers and ambulances, he added.

In Udupi

National Students Union of India have extended its  support to the bundh call given by Save National Highway Committee .

Speaking to the media persons here on Wednesday, President Prithviraj R Shetty said there are as many as 632587 students from 1st standard to final year degree in the erstwhile Dakshina Kannada district. There are about 806 school buses. In this backdrop the roads are the basic infrastructure for transportation. It is essential to have good roads, he said.