PADUBIDRI : A protest jatha was organized at Padubidri from the Sri Mahalingeshwara Temple entrance upto the Karkala Padubidri circle on Tuesday urging the government to drop the proposal to construct a bye pass at Padubidri as part of the Suratkal-Kundapur four-laning works. The agitators also blocked the NH 17 for some time and shouted slogans against the proposed project.
Addressing the agitators, Deviprasad Shetty, District President of the JD(S), said construction of a bye-pass at Padubidri would not be allowed at any cost and added the project if implemented would render displaced several poor people and farmers. He also suggested construction of a fly-over instead of a bye-pass and warned of severe agitation if the government decided to go ahead with the bye-pas project.
Ravindranath G Hegde of Coastal Development Authority, who also spoke said it would be unwise on the part of the authorities to go in for a bye-pass project all of a sudden which would lead to the demolition of hundreds of house. He also pointed out about the proposal for a fly-over at Padubidri that was put forth ten years ago itself
Ramdas Naik, President of the DK, Udupi District NH 17 Affected People’s Action Committee said it was not proper on the part of the government to have a bye-pass at Padubidri when there was no such proposal anywhere on the four-laning stretch. He also accused the authorities of keeping the public in the dark regarding the project.
A memorandum was forwarded to the Governor through the Tahsildar on the occasion.
Former minister Vasanth Salian, ZP Member Shashikanth Padubidri, Parvathi Bangera, Padubidri TP member, and several other locals took part in the agitation.
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