Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)

Udupi, Jun 9: The state government's move to request the central government to reclassify some strecthes of the national highway as local roads, was condemned by former MLA of Udupi, K Raghupati Bhat, at a press meet held at Brahmagiri, here on Thursday, June 8.

The SC had ordered a ban on liquor shops near the national highways a few weeks ago. Recently, the state government decided to recommend to the centre that stretches of NH be declared as local roads as they were maintained by local bodies.

K Raghupati Bhat suggested that it would only be an additional financial burden on CMC, and urged to find an immediate solution. He was irked about local bodies not being taken into confidence during the denotification decision. As a suggestion to ease the burden of the cost of maintenance for the local bodies, he asked the government to allot them half the revenue earned by the state from liquor shops. He also pointed out to problems faced by locals due to the existing sand policy.    

Burden on urban local bodies

"The state or central government is not bearing the expenses of maintaining the national and state highways. The burden of road maintenance lies on the local bodies. Since they have meagre income sources, additional funds are needed for maintenance," demanded Bhat.


K Raghupati continued, "A DPR on development of Malpe road, Manipal-Parkala National Highway, has been approved by the Union Highway Department, a gazette notification has been published on May 31, this year, after acquisition of land."

"Before denotifying land for the national and state highways, the state government should release funds to the city municipality council here, to maintain roads. The state had released a fund amount of about Rs 3 crore for the widening and development of Parkala road, but it was witheld."

Possible remedy

If the government provides half the income collected from liquor outlets to local bodies, it would be a adequate financial source for balancing the situation economically. If the state government imposed the burden of maintenance of roads on local bodies, it will be considered an anti-democratic move," Bhat added

"The state govenrment has just taken the report from the expansion survey department, to take the decision of reclassifying roads.

I have a written a letter to district in charge minister Pramod Madhwaraj for a readdressal. The minister should bring a suitable amount of fund for the CMC as additional fund. People of Udupi are waiting for development of the NH and States Highways, but it is getting delayed," Bhat added.

Lack of coordination

"Nearly 6000 liquor outlets will be closed in the state. But by the denotification move of the state, the local bodies will be effected. Moreover, the state government did not collect opinion from the them before taking a decision on reclassifying roads. The maintenance of roads is additional burden for the local bodies along with other expenses," said former MLA of Udupi.

"There is a demand for constructing a flyover and it would have come up in Ambagilu, Santhekatte, if it is necessary in future, but the state never asked opinion from the local leaders, while taking such important decision," Bhat condemned the attitude of state.

Sand Policy

"The district’s minister failed to bring a new sand policy for the coastal district. People are thus suffering due lack of sand since a and a half. The labourers are sitting jobless. The whole economic condition has declined," he said.

Shiva Kumar, Prabhakar Poojary, Praveen Shetty, Jagadeesh Acharya and Yashpal Suvarna were present at the meet.