State government is responsible for delay in Pumpwell Flyover work: MP Nalin Kumar Kateel
Mangaluru, November 18: MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said that construction of Pumpwell Flyover was delayed as the state government had not completed the land acquisition on time.
Speaking to reporters after inspecting the flyover work here on Sunday, he said that now, the construction work was at the final stage and it would be completed by January end. Thokkottu Flyover would be opened for traffic movement by December. Though the work started in 2010, it was delayed because of shifting of a big Kalasha of Mahaveera Circle and construction of service bus stand besides national highway. The work was accelerated in 2016. National highway was designed fifteen years ago. But due to construction of bus stand at Pumpwell circle, there was a demand to change the design of the National Highway. But the state government and the then deputy commissioner had delayed the process and it postponed the work. Meanwhile, the company which was entrusted the responsibility of construction, has incurred financial loss. For all these reasons, the work was delayed, he said.
Then deputy commissioner, MLA and the district minister were responsible for the delay of the work. Though 15 years have gone after disbursing the compensation to the owners of the land on BC Road, 10 buildings on the roadside were not yet evicted. There were three houses amidst the service road at Thokkottu. If the officials tried to evict them, they were getting threatening calls. He was silent because he didn't want to mix politics in development. When there was Congress government both at the centre and in the state, they had taken 13 years to complete 30 km road from BC Road to Surathkal Mukka. But Baikampady bridge was not included in that work. It was completed during his tenure. Panemangaluru Nethravathi river bridge took 14 years to complete. When Yeddyurappa was the chief minister, he had given Rs 300 crore to the Mangaluru city corporation. Then concrete roads were laid in the city. Even after 11 years, the corporation has failed to lay footpaths. Those who oppose everything, should answer as to why those works were delayed, he said.
Letter to suspend toll
"We have been demanding suspension of Mukka and Brahmarakutlu tollgate, for the state government has to submit a proposal to the union minister of national highways. He has already written a letter to the Chief Minister regarding this issue. Meanwhile, the NHAI regional office has submitted it's opinion to the central government that tollgate can be removed. So the state government should take a suitable decision", he demanded.
NHAI project director Samson Vijay Kumar, Engineer Ajith Kumar and Navayug Company officers were present.
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PM Modi, myself don't have 'wife issue': Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): In a friendly banter, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he didn’t have "the wife issue", as the Congress MP emphasised that everyone has learnt from women in their lives.
Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha on the three bills introduced for amendments to the women's quota law and setting up a delimitation commission, Gandhi said women are a driving force in the national imagination and national perspective.
"All of us in this room have been influenced, taught, and have learnt a lot from women in our lives – from mothers, sisters, wives," Gandhi said.
"Of course, the prime minister and myself don't have the wife issue, so we don't get that input, but we have our mothers and sisters," he said while referring to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju's light-hearted remark that he got a scolding at home as he did not pen a poem for his wife like Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal did.
Gandhi also lauded his sister and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi's speech in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
"Yesterday, I was watching my sister achieve in five minutes what I have not been able to do in 20 years of my political career – make Amit Shah Ji smile," Gandhi said to peals of laughter.
