Save NH 17 Makes another Effort to Get NH 17 Repaired

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, October 30, 2009: Save NH 17, an apolitical organization that has been fighting for the repair and maintenance of NH 17 for several years, arranged a meeting at Hotel Sharada International, Udupi, at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday to discuss the situation of the badly damaged NH 17 from Padubidri to Brahmavar. During the meeting, it was decided that the protests would be intensified if the authorities concerned ignored the requests for repair. 

A delegation led by K Jayaprakash Hegde, former minister; B Govindaraj Hegde, the convener of Save NH 17; and H Gopal Bhandari, the MLA of Karkala, went to New Delhi on Wednesday to meet M Veerappa Moily, the union law minister, and request him to facilitate the repair of NH 17 from Padubidri to Brahmavar. 

Before leaving, Mr Hegde said that a similar delegation had met the union law minister on September 11 in Delhi. As a result, Moily had requested the NH authorities in an official letter to commence repair work at the earliest possible. Moily had also discussed the matter with the secretary of Karnataka NH and said that the repair must be done immediately. Besides, Moily had brought the attention of the surface transport minister to the worsening condition of NH 17. 

Hedge hopes that his trip to New Delhi would bear fruit. If not, the organization plans to intensify agitation with the help of the citizens of DK and Udupi.