Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network—Bantwal (RD/CN)
Bantwal, Sep 24: Despite the four-lane conversion work on the national highway going on at a snail’s phase for many years, contractor Ircon International began the preparations to build a toll plaza at Brahmarakutlu on Friday September 23.
Four-lane conversion work from B C Road–Suratkal is only 70 percent complete and the locals are angry at Ircon International for going ahead with building the toll plaza.
Widening the roads, building culverts, shifting electric poles and water pipelines, drainage work, and land acquisition is in progress on the national highway. Ircon International is supposed to complete the four-lane work along the entire stretch of the national highway ahead of building the toll plaza.
The row over relocating the ‘Brahma Gudi’ was resolved amicably with the national highway authorities. The local people had opposed the demolition of the Brahma Gudi by massive holding a massive protest against the national highway authority, and they agreed to divert the four-lane, due to pressure from the people.
However, Ircon International laid the concrete on the earmarked spot for building a toll plaza.
A toll gate is already functioning at Panemangalore here, and national highway authorities informed that once the toll plaza begins to function at Brahmarakootlu, the Panemangalore toll gate will be shelved.
The people are wondering when the four-lane work on the Suratkal–B C Road will be completed. Ircon International was expected to complete the work before beginning the construction of the toll plaza at Brahmarakootlu.