You can use Shiradi Ghat road from July 5
Mangaluru, June 19: PWD Minister HD Revanna said that as the second phase work which is under progress on Shiradi Ghat road would complete in a couple of days and it would be made free for vehicular movement before July 5.
Speaking to reporters after holding a progress review meeting and verifying the rain damage in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, at the zilla panchayat hall here on Tuesday, Revanna said that there are some ghat section roads in Charmadi, Sampaje, Shiradi ghats and from Subramanya to Onaguru. Because of fly-over construction by the National Highway Authority, the Mangaluru city has some problems. Steps would be taken to solve those problems. In order to construct an all season road in Charmadi ghat, the department would require around Rs 250 crore and a detailed proposal would be submitted to the central government and priority would also be given to develop Shiradi, Sampaje, Onaguru roads, he said.
Drainage facility should be provided to the road which connects Sampaje, Puttur and Sullia from BC Road. He would direct the authorities concerned to conduct meetings with the Forest department officials and take steps to complete the work without posing problem to the forest and the people, he added.
Fly over problem to be sorted out
He got the information that because of the delayed work of the flyovers by the national highway authority (NHA), most of the places in Pumpwell and Thokkottu were inundated in rainwater during heavy rains that lashed the city recently. Even the Udupi district also has the same problem. So, he would direct the Department Secretary to come and conduct meetings of officials of both the districts and solve the problem, he said.
Rain damage: Funds released
The loss of damage to the PWD roads due to rains in both Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts was estimated at Rs 6 crore and Rs 1.20 crore respectively. If the both the districts submitted the proposal for the compensation, he would release the funds immediately, he said.
Over 200 km road in Belthangady taluk is being maintained by the PWD. Now, most of the roads were damaged due to heavy rains. As the Shiradi Ghat is also closed, the traffic movement was heavy in state highways due to which they were damaged. So, the PWD roads should be upgraded, MLA Harish Poonja demanded.
MLA Sanjeeva Marandur said that the road from Bantwala to Sullia does not have drainage facility. So, rainwater flows on the road. In Moodbidri, total 106 km road is coming under PWD. Because of the rain-related damage, total Rs 2.5 crore loss was estimated, he said.
MLA Umanath Kotian said that almost all PWD roads in Dakshina Kannada district were damaged in the rains and steps should be taken to repair them immediately.
Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil said that the district incurred a loss of Rs 19 crore including Rs 6 crore of PWD property, due to rain-related damages.
Because of heavy rains, many landsliding incidents were reported in the district. Due to landslides in ghat sections and hilly ranges, several houses were damaged. So, there is a need to take separate survey to construct retention walls to avoid landslides, the DC suggested.
Udupi Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Merry Francis said that the NHAI has been constructing flyover near Padubidri for the last two years. Because of the delay in completion of works, this problem occurred. In the same way, the fly over work is going on a snail’s pace at Karavali By-pass and Kundapura Junction. In Udupi district, the damage was estimated at Rs 12 crore including Rs 1.17 crore of PWD department, she said.
Dakshina Kannada ZP CEO Dr MR Ravi, Udupi ZP CEO Shivanand Kapase, Mangaluru Police Commissioner T R Suresh, Chief Engineer Srinivas, KRDCL MD Ganesh and others were present at the meeting.
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Railways created world record in derailments: Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata, Sep 24: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday mocked the Indian Railways, asserting that it has created a “world record” in derailments.
Banerjee’s comments came hours after a few wagons of an empty goods train jumped tracks in the state’s Jalpaiguri district.
"What is happening with the Railways? Even today, there is the news of derailment. The Railways has created a world record in derailments. But, nobody says anything?" she told reporters after an administrative review meeting in Birbhum.
"People's safety and security is in danger, and they are scared of travelling in trains. Where is the railway minister? Only asking for votes during elections will not help, you have to be by the side of people when they are in danger," Banerjee said.
Five wagons of an empty goods train derailed at New Maynaguri railway station in Jalpaiguri district on Tuesday morning.
No injuries were reported in the incident that occurred around 6.20 am, officials said.
Banerjee, who had served as railway minister twice, claimed that she had run the department smoothly and allocated several projects for West Bengal.
"As the railway minister, I had sanctioned projects worth Rs 2 lakh crore for Bengal," the CM said.
The Railways, in a recent report, had mentioned there were 18 attempts to derail trains across the country since August.
