UDUPI: Komal Jenifer D’Souza from Manipal on Friday sat in her car, and narrated the poor condition of roads in her neighbourhood in a video. She complained about how taxes collected from people are not used to provide basic amenities. ‘’Udupi MLA K Raghupathi Bhat takes the same route to go home, but is unperturbed about the incomplete road work,’’ she said.
She decided to make a video after seeing a motorist fall on the road due to its bad shape. “Who will pay the bills if someone is injured and admitted to hospital due to bad roads? You (the people’s representatives) need not spend money from your pocket, but utilise our tax money and repair the roads,’’ Komal urges.
The four-lane road widening work between Ambagilu and Manipal, a stretch of 3.9 km, was halted due to the pandemic over the last two years. Then intermittent rain delayed tarring work. Assistant executive engineer, PWD, Udupi, Jagadish Bhat, told TNSE that the widening and asphalting work are underway. “Only one layer is laid and the median work is underway. The entire stretch will be completed by the end of December at a cost of Rs 23 crore as per the extended deadline,” he said.
The contractors will not be paid until the defective stretches are repaired, he said, adding the next layer up to the railway bridge will be laid soon. Meanwhile, Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat, reacting to the video, said, “It is going to be a full-fledged road in future, wider than the earlier narrow stretch between Ambagilu and Manipal.”