‘Toll gate will be closed if not assured in writing within 10 days’
MP Nalin Kumar warns Navayuga Company
Mangaluru, June 21: Lok Sabha Member Nalin Kumar Kateel warned the company, which is carrying out the Pumpwell-Thokkottu flyover construction on National Highway 66, of closing the toll gate with the help of general public if the company failed to assure in writing within 10 days about completion of the work.
Addressing the officers of National Highway Authority of India and engineers and representatives of the company at his office here on Thursday, the MP said that though the construction work of the two flyovers was started a few years back, it was not completed. When it rained heavily, the traffic movement would be blocked on the road. People would take elected representatives to task. In the earlier meeting, the officers and engineers had promised of completing Thokkottu flyover work by May and Pumpwell flyover work by December. But as per the present situation, the work would not complete at that time. So, they should give in writing within 10 days on when they will going to complete the work. Otherwise, they would close the toll gate, he warned Navayuga company representative.
“I wanted to inaugurate the highway work from the Prime Minister by next January. But you are telling that you will complete the work in next June. But we are not in a position to wait till that time. Already, Rs 1.20 crore penalty was imposed on the delayed work. But you have not learned the lesson from it. Let your company managing director come to Mangaluru and hold a meeting with me and the deputy commissioner”, he said.
Fill pot-holes
Before the onset of rainy season, the potholes on the national highway should have been filled and silt should have been removed from the drainages, dangerous trees should have been chopped. As the authorities did not take up those works, Mangaluru city was marooned in the recent rain. Though they were aware of the rain in coastal region, they have neglected to take precautionary measures. So, potholes on national highways should be filled immediately, he directed.
To solve the problem in the Padeel Under-pass, both NHAI officers and the City Corporation officers should jointly inspect the place and take steps. As there is an allegation that unscientific work is the main reason for accidents near Nanturu circle, the officers should take it seriously and solve the problem as a priority, he said.
In spite of spending Rs 8 crore for maintaining Surathkal-Bantwal national highway, the pot-holes were still there. Officers should take steps to solve the problems in Ramalkatte in Tumbe, BC Road, Nantur, Padeel, Pumpwell and Thokkottu junctions, he said.
Tender is called for BC Road- Punjalkatte road development and work would be started after rainy season. Tender would be called for Rs 33 crore Gurupura new bridge construction after rainy season, NHAI officials said.
MLA Vedavyas Kamath, Zilla Panchayat vice president Kasturi Panja, corporators Premananda Shetty, Sudheer Shetty Kannur, Vijaykumar and others were present at the meeting.
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Gold jewelry worth Rs 63 lakh stolen from family traveling by train from Mumbai to Udupi
Manipal: A family that was traveling from Mumbai to Udupi to attend a wedding function recently lost 900 grams of gold jewelry worth Rs 63 lakh during the train journey.
Avinash, who is a resident of Mumbai, left for Udupi with his family by train on November 15. The family carried four suitcases with clothes and jewelry, but reportedly only zipped up the suitcases and did not lock them. On November 16, they got down at the Indrali Railway Station in the taluk and traveled to Manipura village near Katapady. The same evening, the family received a shock when they opened two bags, only to find that the gold jewelry weighing 900 grams and worth Rs 63 lakh kept in the bags was missing.
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They filed a complaint with Manipal Police, suspecting that the jewelry was stolen at a stretch between Panvel and Kankavali railway stations in Maharashtra.
Manipal Police, who registered a case based on the family’s complaint, are investigating. Police sources have said that, as the criminal act was committed in Maharashtra, the case might be handed over to the concerned police officers, for further investigation.
