Mangaluru: Pranavananda Swamiji of Brahmashree Narayanguru Shaktipeeth, Kardal, has accused the government of neglecting the families of the victims of the recent hill collapse on National Highway 66 between Shiruru and Ankola. He stated that none of the government representatives have visited the affected families, mostly from the Eediga and Namdhari communities, to offer condolences.
Swamiji criticized the government’s inaction, contrasting it with the attention given to other issues, such as the denial of entry to a farmer at a mall. He also pointed out that the Kerala government had sent representatives to assist with the rescue of a Kerala lorry driver, while the Uttara Kannada district administration had not handled the situation properly.
Swamiji attributed the accident to IRB company’s failure to maintain safety measures and alleged corruption in the project. He demanded a discussion in the Lok Sabha session on non-compliance with safety measures in highway works and filed a complaint against IRB company’s owner and directors, seeking a murder case and blacklisting of the company.
He also called for compensation of ₹1 crore each to the affected families, a job in the company for one family member, and action to prevent similar disasters. A protest meeting is planned at Ankola Namdhari Community Bhawan on July 28 to condemn the government’s negligence.