Mangalore: Newly-concreted Balmatta Road Inaugurated Amid Confusion
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (GA)
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Mangalore, Feb 29: The 500-metre stretch between Ambedkar Circle and Collector’s Gate at Balmata was inaugurated by mayor Ganesh Hosabettu on Friday February 29. The road work was taken up by Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) under the Rs 16.3-crore four-lane road project from Mahaveer Circle to Hampankatta.
Though the inauguration was scheduled for 10.15 in the morning, it was held much in advance mainly owing to lack of communication. This however enraged former district in-charge minister Nagaraj Shetty who arrived at the earlier announced time. But the road had already been inaugurated by then. A peeved Nagaraj Shetty, though he came to the spot, did not alight from his car and left the place without waiting for anyone.
The road was inaugurated by mayor Ganesh Hosabettu. Deputy mayor Shakila Kava, former Suratkal MLA Krishna Palemar, BJP leader in MCC Shankar Bhat, former mayor Shashidhar Hegde, corporator Mariamma Thomas were present on the occasion.
Earlier Syed Elyas Pasha, executive engineer, KUIDFC, said that barring very minor works like inter-locking in some pockets, the rest of the works have been completed, including lighting on the median, asphalting the adjoining roads, which end on to the concrete stretch.
The next target of KUIDFC is the 700-metre stretch from Collector’s Gate to Bendorewell. Though the entire stretch had to be concreted in the original plan, KUIDFC would only take up 250 metres of the road, starting from Collector’s Gate up to Mangalore Nursing Home in the first phase, due to paucity of time.
Pasha said that as Jyothi Circle-Collector’s Gate work was delayed by nearly two months due to objections; they were constrained to take up less than half of the next stretch, due to the impending monsoon. The rest would be taken up after the monsoon till Lower Bendorewell Circle, he added.