Karwar: Uttara Kannada District In-Charge Minister Mankal Vaidya has instructed police and forest department officials to file a case against IRB and National Highway officials in connection with the landslide in Shirur village of Ankola taluk, which resulted in fatalities.

Presiding over a meeting at the Karwar District Commissioner’s office, Minister Vaidya expressed deep condolences for the loss of lives due to the landslide in Shirur. He emphasized that unscientific road construction was the main cause of the incident. The minister directed that a police case be registered against the officials of the National Highway Authority and IRB company. Additionally, an FIR should be filed under the Forest Department Act for the landslide.

The minister noted that thousands of people have died in accidents related to ongoing National Highway projects in the district, attributing these incidents to the negligence of the authorities. When asked about the completion date of the road works, IRB officials failed to provide a satisfactory response, which greatly dissatisfied the minister. He instructed the district administration to withhold any further cooperation until a clear answer is provided.

Minister Vaidya also stressed the importance of promptly opening care centers during the rainy season to ensure they are fully equipped with all necessary basic facilities. He urged for maximum relief to be provided on humanitarian grounds to those whose homes have been damaged by the rains and to ensure that there is no shortage of funds for setting up care centers in all taluks.

MLA Satish Sail instructed the Public Works Department and Forest Department officials to plan and implement road widening projects in Anashi to ensure safe passage.

The meeting was attended by District Commissioner Lakshmi Priya, Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Panchayat Ishwar Kumar Kandu, District Superintendent of Police Narayan, and officials from the National Highway, Forest Department, and various other departments.