Expose scam behind IG Road in Chikmagalur, urges CPI

CPI State Joint Secretary P V Lokesh said that according to the State Highway rules, the width of the road should be 100 ft and the High Court order clearly states that the land required for such projects must be acquired after providing suitable compensation.

In such as situation the district administration and MLA who instead of following the rules have called a meet to approve 80 ft road and have said that approval must be sought for the remaining 20 ft. Lokesh said that this violation of rule has become a cause for trouble and the issue will be taken to the court.

“On the one hand, MLA has convinced the building owners to provide land free of cost for laying 40 ft extension of either sides of the road and on the other hand, the DC has written a letter to the Government seeking Rs 12 crore to provide compensation to the land owners,” he informed.

Lokesh said that as many as 40 persons have moved to the court over road extension issue. He said that it is ridiculous that MLA who at one point vehemently opposed the road extension is now requesting people to support the extension work.
“If road extension is necessary then has the State government released Rs 22 crore required to provide compensation to land losers? If not, then why this haste in execution and why is this project being taken up as though it is an eye wash,” he questioned.

He said that either Government must take up extension of the road as per norms (that is 100 ft) and provide proper compensation or else it should move the State Highway to the outskirts of  the city.

“Rs 4 crore provided by CM for development of the city must be utilised for other important developmental works rather than haphazard extension of IG Road,” he said.