On February 5, members of Samana Manaska Sanghatanegalu (like-minded organisations) staged a dharna at Nanthoor Junction in Mangaluru, calling for the abolition of toll collection on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru NH 75 at Brahmarakootlu, near B.C. Road. They also demanded the speedy completion of ongoing National Highway projects in Dakshina Kannada district.
Leading the protest, Muneer Katipalla, convener of the Tollgate Virodhi Horata Samithi, Surathkal, voiced concerns over the improper establishment of new toll plazas. He stated that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) should follow prescribed guidelines, establishing toll plazas only every 60 km, as per the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Katipalla also expressed dissatisfaction over the slow progress of vital highway projects, including the widening of the B.C. Road-Adda Hole stretch of NH 75 into four lanes, the Bikarnakatte-Sanoor stretch of Mangaluru-Solapur NH 169, and the Punjalakatte-Charmadi stretch of Mangaluru-Tumakuru NH 73. He urged the NHAI and Ministry to accelerate work, as delays have negatively impacted local residents, the economy, and everyday life.
He further demanded the immediate renewal of the B.C. Road-Surathkal stretch of NH 75 and NH 66 Port Connectivity Road, citing numerous potholes, craters, and unscientific shoulder drains. The protestors called for the speedy completion of the ongoing six-lane bridge over the Phalguni River (Gurupura) at Kurloor and the grade separator work at Nanthoor Junction.
Katipalla urged Karnataka Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi and MP Captain Brijesh Chowta to intervene and ensure timely completion of projects. He warned that if the government fails to address the concerns, Samana Manaska Sanghatanegalu would intensify their protest.
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