Protest against bypass project at Padubidri

The protesters demanded that the bypass project be shelved and instead, stick to the original plan of building a flyover at Padubidri under four lane project from Surathkal to Kundapur.

The protest was taken out from Sri Mahalingeshwar temple welcome arch in Padubidri on NH 17 to local bus stand. The agitators laid road blockade at Padubidri town, for a brief while causing hindrance to motorists and inter-city buses. The protesters alleged that influential property owners who had encroached on either side of NH 17 at Padubidri are resisting the NHAI plan to build a flyover through their properties. They are instead pressuring the authorities concerned to work on alternative bypass road which would put the local peasant community in great hardships, they said.

The protesters pointed out that nowhere through the NH 17 from Kundapur to Surathkal, a bypass road has been proposed, except flyovers at Katpady, Kaup, Brahmavar and Ucchila among others along the highway, for converting the existing two lane highway into four lane.   

The protesters submitted a memorandum through Tahsildar to the governor urging to drop the plan of laying a bypass road at Padubidri, since it would cause hardship to many residents from minority community who are not willing to let their lands for the purpose.

Former Minister Vasanth Salian, JD(S) District President Deviprasad Shetty, Gangadhar Suvarna, Naveenchandra Shetty, Parvathi Bangera, Abdul Azeez Hejamadi, Nityanand Poojary, Dinesh, Abdul Hameed, Ramdass Nayak and others were present.