Mohan Kuthar
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (RJP)
Mangaluru, Jan 29: Public in Ullalbail on Thursday January 29 protested the action of municipal councilor who halted the concreting work of the local road. 'Banner politics' is said to be the reason for taking this action.
It is said that out of Rs 5 crore aid approved for Ullal area under town development (Nagarothana) plan, Rs 5 lacs was allocated for concreting the Ullalbail road. The work had been in progress from two months with the road stretch of 2 kilometers from Mastikatte and Ullalbail being concreted.
'Banner politics'
When Agriculture Road (ARS Road) in Ullalbail was being concreted, a banner was put up congratulating the local legislator and health minister U T Khadar who is said to be responsible for getting the funds for the project. But BJP workers in Ullabail later put banners praising former chief minister Jagadish Shettar who they said was responsible for approving the funds.
The local councilor Sukumar who did not like this, declared that the concreting of ARS Road will continue only if the banner from BJP is removed. But the locals who disapproved of this decision took Sukumar to task and said if the work did not resume by Wednesday evening, they would protest. The officials responsible for the said work visited the site along with police and promised that the work would resume on Thursday morning.
Protests
On Thursday morning, when no equipment used for the concreting work arrived at the site, more than 50 people gathered and protested by blocking the road with wooden logs. They stopped the traffic till afternoon and sat on dharna in front of Sukumar's house. But the councilor was not at home, which made the public lose temper. The protesters shouted slogans against the councilor and the minister.
Ullal station officer Savitra Teja, sub-inspector Bharathi who came to the spot pacified the protesters and asked them to clear the logs from the road, after which the traffic was restored.
The protesters later went to the Ullal municipal council for further protests.
Dayananda, a former councilor speaking to reporters said, "Because of elections, the funds which were approved by the BJP were not spent. But these people have completed the work only where minorities live. For the minister votes are more important than welfare of people. if they do not resume the work, we will intensify the protests."
Chandrakala, a local said, "It is difficult to use the road when it is in such a pathetic condition. The sick people have suffered a lot. The situation is worse during rainy days. The councilor and the minisiter should not behave like this when the need of the hour is repair of the road."