Bhatkal: Following prolonged delays in the National Highway construction at Kaikini Basti and Mood Bhatkal due to public protests, Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police (SP) M. Narayan visited Bhatkal to assess the impact of the stalled highway construction. During his survey of both areas, he emphasized that the halted highway work has led to an increase in road accidents, making its completion a necessity.
Accompanied by National Highway Project Director Shiv Kumar, representatives of IRB Infrastructure, Bhatkal DySP Mahesh M.K., Circle Police Inspectors Gopi Krishna and Chandan Gopal, along with other police officials, SP Narayan visited the affected locations. Under the directive of the central government, the police department has been tasked with ensuring that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and IRB Infrastructure receive police protection to resume the stalled construction work. Authorities aim to remove all obstacles hindering the highway project and facilitate its smooth progress.
The construction of the four-lane highway has been halted at two locations near the Kaikini Basti and Mood Bhatkal bypass due to ongoing protests by local residents. The locals' primary demand is the construction of an underpass before proceeding with the highway expansion. Residents of Kaikini Basti argue that they need to cross the highway to reach Uttarkoppa, while those in Mood Bhatkal and Muttalli face similar difficulties in reaching their destinations. They fear that once the highway is expanded into four lanes, fast-moving vehicles will make it extremely difficult for pedestrians to cross. Despite repeated requests, the contractor company has refused to construct the necessary underpass.
During SP Narayan's visit, residents of Mood Bhatkal and Muttalli met with him to express their grievances. In a cordial discussion, SP Narayan acknowledged their concerns but insisted that the highway construction must continue as planned. He assured them that their issues would be addressed in due course but emphasized that halting the project was not a viable option.
After completing the survey, SP Narayan stated, "We have visited major BLACK SPOT locations identified as accident-prone areas on the national highway along with NHAI officials. We have discussed precautionary measures and issued appropriate directives to address deficiencies in order to prevent road accidents."