Mangaluru: Members of the CPM central committee and the CPM Bajal committee staged a protest near the Jeppu Mahakalipadpu railway gate on Monday, criticizing the sluggish progress of the railway underbridge (RuB) construction at the site. The protesters expressed frustration over the lack of alternative arrangements by the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) during the road closure for construction work.
CPM Dakshina Kannada secretariat member Sunil Kumar Bajal highlighted the inconvenience caused to commuters reliant on the Mahakalipadpu road. He blamed Mangalore City South MLA D Vedavyasa Kamath and the BJP-led Mangaluru City Corporation for failing to expedite the project, resulting in increased traffic congestion on city roads. Threatening further action, Bajal warned of a potential black flag protest at the MLA’s office if the RuB work is not accelerated. He also raised concerns about the construction quality, referencing a previous incident where part of a concrete box structure collapsed.
CPM Mangaluru South secretary Santhosh Bajal suggested that MLA Vedavyasa Kamath, MP Capt Brijesh Chowta, and Mayor Sudheer Shetty Kannur should travel by train to inspect similar railway bridges in the region. He criticized the authorities for the delay in constructing an RuB at the first unmanned railway gate after Mangaluru Central station, despite allocated funds from the Centre under the Smart City project. Santhosh also pointed to alleged substandard development practices in BJP-governed states, citing recent bridge collapses in Jharkhand and Bihar.
The protest saw the participation of social activist J Ibrahim Jeppu, local masjid president Ismail, and several CPM functionaries including Padmavathi Shetty, Jayanthi Shetty, and Pramodini Kallapu.