JOIN USRoad apathy irks people of Kalasa
The Hirebail-Yedur road in the hobli has not seen a layer of asphalt for a decade. As a result of such poor maintenance, the road has not remained fit for use of both people and vehicles.
Villager Ajith Kumar said the people do not even remember when the three-kilometre road was asphalted last time. “Probably it happened more than 15 years ago, after which the road was not maintained at all,” he complained.
During summer, the village residents and schoolchildren can use the road with an extra bit of struggle. Their inconvenience, however, grows multi-fold in the rainy season. Auto rickshaw drivers refuse to ply their vehicles as the tyres will stuck in the slush.
“There are only a few jeeps that cater to the needs of the people. Yet, they are not sufficient for all. Recently, when a person was injured and had his backbone fractured, he had to be shifted to the hospital in Kalasa, using three vehicles,” Ravi Shetty said.
Yedur Gram Panchayat member Oswald Pereira complained that no serious efforts have been carried out towards the repair of the road. Oswald, who resigned his corporate job in Bengaluru, which paid him handsomely, came to the village and involved himself in agriculture. He has plans to bring grants from Nabard, this time.
“Even after a series of memorandum were submitted to the Zilla Panchayat members and legislators, no grants have been obtained,” said Ajith Kumar, Vidyasagar and others. Saroja and Chandravathi from the village said that they have to go to Hirebail for school, hospital, bus stand, fairprice shop, post office and banks. But, due to the bad road, the travel has been a cumbersome task.
The appeal by the people, with regard to the road apathy, at Marasanige Gram Panchayat meetings, has fallen on deaf ears. The people have, therefore, decided to boycott the Taluk Panchayat and Zilla Panchayat elections next month, if no firm decision is taken by the local administration, on the road repair.