Will Surathkal-Kana-MRPL Road be repaired with funds from industries

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Oct 18, 2016: As reported yesterday, the Mayor of Mangaluru, Harinath wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct MRPL Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. (MRPL) to repair Surathkal-Kana-MRPL Road, Nalin Kumar Kateel, Member of Parliament, swung into action on Monday to resolve the issue. 

A  meeting called by the MP and attended among others by the Mayor, MRPL officials and some councillors here on Oct 17, Monday, it was agreed in principle to repair the road first with funds drawn from the share of major industries using the road and also from the MCC. The Mayor had also sent a copy of the letter written to the Prime Minister to MP Kateel.

Mayor Harinath had said that the meeting decided to hold another meeting, by inviting more stakeholders using the particular road which is about 4.5 km long and in poor condition. The Mayor said that the MP promised that officials of HPCL, BASF and other industries using the road would be invited to Friday’s meeting and their share of fund would be decided there.  The officials who participated in Monday’s meeting estimated that it might require about Rs. 1.50 crore to repair the road now.

The Mayor said that if the same road was to be concreted, it might require Rs. 45 crore. Some in the meeting suggested that after concreting the road, toll could be collected from the users. No decision has been taken yet.

Earlier, at a media conference here on October 4, the Mayor had threatened of sitting in dharna in front of MRPL if the company did not start repair work within 20 days. He blamed the company for the bad condition of the road. According to the Mayor, about 90 per cent of heavy vehicles plying on the road are operating to and from MPRL and that the company should own up responsibility of repairing the road. But MRPL has said that vehicles of many other companies also used the same road and it alone cannot be held responsible for the poor condition of the road. The company had said that it cannot divert its CSR fund for such works.

On October 6, the Nagarika Horata Samithi, Kana, had staged a protest against the bad condition of the road. The samithi had staged such protests earlier also. According to the samithi convener B.K. Imtiyaz, heavy vehicles operating to and from many companies in the area were responsible for the poor condition of the road.