ANKOLA : Ore lorries pounding on our roads and bridges have always proved to be a nuisance while adding to the traffic woes of highway users causing frequent traffic blockades. If the common man was the most affected in these traffic blockades, on Tuesday it was the turn of the State Minister Anand Asnotikar himself. The minister who had to attend a programme at Ankola was trapped for over three hours in a traffic block with long queues of vehicles on either side near Belekeri.
The minister who was supposed to attend a function at Belambara at 11 am had left in his red light car royally hoping to be at the function on schedule, But lo! no sooner the car reached Baleguli it was trapped amid ore lorries. In fact traffic had come to a stand sill following a huge rush of ore lorries right from Belekeri upto Baleguli. There was virtually no space for even a person to sneak in.
For two long hours the minister waited with patience in his car. An attempt by him to clear the traffic proved futile. Even the minister’s instructions to the traffic police to set everything right went in vain as they too were helpless. Finally, the determined minister stepped out of his car, sneaked through the vehicles and finally pillion rode a bike and reached Belekeri cross. By then the minister was red faced, thanks to his anger as well as the dust. He even telephoned the SP and lent voice to his anger saying “ How can the people live under such circumstances. Just come and have a look ! I have a doubt if there is something called district administration…â€
The minister himself took the initiative in clearing the road block by directing the vehicles to pass. By the time the road was cleared and the minister’s vehicle arrived it was 1.30 pm and the minister left the place heaving a sigh of relief.
But will the minister’s bitter experience put an end to the travails of the highway users ?
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