’Samithi’ agitated over wrong uniformity in road widening

’Samithi’ agitated over wrong uniformity in road widening

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, May 9, 2016: As per reports, a big group of people under the banner of ’Bhoomalikara Horata Samithi’ staged a road block near Bikarnakatte-Kaikamba flyover on May 7 saturday. The issue raised was that the alignment fixed by the NHAI is  a wrong method for widening NH 169 (formerly NH 13) between Kulshekar Kaikamba-Moodbidri.

Addressing the protesters, Corporator Bhasker Moily said that the proposed road width should be uniform - 30 metres - all along the road.  A memorandum was registered with the authorities concerned to rework the alignment without affecting the houses. The authorities, however, have over looked the demand, he complained. The NHAI has proposed to widen the highway for 45 metres between Kulshekar Kaikamba and Moodbidri and 30 metres between Moodbidri and Karkala. There should be uniformity in the road width demanded the Samithi.

Mariamma Thomas said that the authorities should insure that  the landowners do not lose their land with the ambiguous alignment fixed by one  M/s Feedback Infra. The rules required fixing of the new alignment from the centre of the existing road up to a width of 22.5 metre or 15 metre on either side of the road for 45 metre or 30 metre wide road. The NHAI, however, has not fixed the alignment in correct manner but has marked properties from the edge of the existing road at several locations.

It was demanded that before issuing primary notification on land acquisition, the NHAI should initiate measures to widen the left side of the Bikarnakatte-Kaikamba flyover and construct a service road for the movement of vehicles. If the authorities fail to consider the demands of the land owners, then the landowners will not cooperate with the department during the Joint Measurement Certificate (JMC) process for the acquisition of land, it was stated