Mangaluru to Karkala road widening project, Minister’s hype

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, July 17, 2016: Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology and Dakshina Kannada District In-charge B Ramanath Rai on July 16, Saturday promised to safeguard the interest of private land holders while acquiring land for the proposed road widening works from Mangaluru to Karkala (National Highway-169  / previously NH-13.

In a meeting minister Rai, along with DK DC Adoor B Ibrahim, said no land holders should be troubled. Besides, the by-pass roads should be laid in a conducive manner benefitting road users. The minister also took note of the suggestions that the road should be widened up to 30 metres from MCC, Mangalore City Corporation limits to Tenka Yadapadavu and Badaga Yadapadavu via Kaikamba, while the rest of the stretch can be widened up to 45 metres.

Suspicions :  A resort owner, who was apprehensive over losing a part of the land for the project sought to know the status of the same. What had irked him was that neither could he find the extent of land (of resort) to be acquired on the project map or with any competent authorities.

While a representative of the school was peeved to part with the land as it was recently that the authorities concerned had acquired two acres for laying gas pipeline.   Another suggested to acquire the land belonging to place of worship, as it was more suitable for widening at the particular stretch.

According to the proposal, a stretch of 47 km of road from Managaluru to Karkala Sanur will be widened.  While it will be a four lane road from Mangaluru to Moodbidri with 45 metre widening, it will be a two-lane road from Moodbidri to Karkala, with 30 metre widening. It includes eight km of bypass road from Marpadi to Puthige and Addur, Mulur to Tenka Ulipadi.

Land acquisition: In all, 448.80 acres of land will be acquired for the purpose including 307.28 acres of private land. Following a notification issued on May 20, 353 individual objections were received.

As per the list provided by the office of competent authority and land acquisition officer, 1,288 structures have been listed for demolition during implementation of the project. It includes 239 RCC houses, 336 tiled houses, 246 shops and buildings, eight places of worship, 410 compound walls, 29 wells, two schools and 18 other structures.

Zilla Panchayat president Meenakshi Shanthigodu, Project Development Officer Prashanth, Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer were also present.