NHAI criticised for not ensuring NH 66 is free of potholes before monsoon in Mangaluru
The Tollgate Horata Samithi, Surathkal, has decried the apathy of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in ensuring National Highway 66 between Surathkal and Nanthoor becomes pothole-free before the onset of monsoon.
'NHAI has written the foreword for the highway death series with the tragic death of Surathkal Janath Colony resident Ashraf on the night of June 9, at Panambur,' claimed Samithi convener Muneer Katipalla. 'Riding a two-wheeler, Ashraf encountered a deep crater on NH 66 at Panambur and fell down. He was crushed by a tanker trailing that was behind his two-wheeler. Ashraf leaves behind his elderly mother, wife and children.'
Communal deaths counted
It appears only communal murders are counted in the coastal region while deaths on the highway remain unaccounted for, Mr. Katipalla regretted.
Despite the Samithi repeatedly demanding restoration of the Surathkal-Nanthoor stretch of NH 66 before the onset of every monsoon, the NHAI does not act, thereby causing the deaths of several motorists every year. When the Samithi organised a peaceful dharna with their demands urging the elected representatives to act, the police booked an FIR against them while caution notices were pasted at night by the police on their doors.
Member of Parliament Captain Brijesh Chowta, who should have been proactive in addressing this issue, has instead joined the bandwagon of those indulging in 'murder politics' in Dakshina Kannada district, Mr. Katipalla said. Sharing the stage with people who deliver provocative speeches to incite violence, the MP was also a part of the delegation of BJP leaders, including R. Ashok, B. Y. Vijayendra, and D. V. Sadananda Gowda, who 'threatened' the district administration that was struggling to restore peace in the district.
With the onset of the monsoon, the NHAI might not be able to carry out repairs on the highway, and no one knows how many people would lose their lives in the coming days.
Asking the MP not to follow in the footsteps of MLAs D Vedavyasa Kamath and Y. Bharath Shetty, Mr. Katipalla urged Capt. Chowta to take immediate steps to ensure the highways remain pothole-free. 'Potholes on highways do not discriminate between Hindus and Muslims,' he said.
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