Mangaluru, Oct 5: The Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) has turned down the demand of Mangaluru City Corporation to take up the repair work of the notorious Suratkal-Kana road, saying that many other bigger companies are operating heavy vehicles on the same road.
The Mayor of MCC, Harinath earlier held the giant bullet tankers plying to and from MRPL for the pathetic condition of the 4.5-km stretch from Suratkal junction to Kana and set a 20 day deadline for the company to take up the repair work. The Mayor also has written letters the Karnataka CM and Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner to pressurise the MRPL to use its corporate social responsibility fund for the purpose.
Responding to the Mayor's demand, MRPL Managing Director H Kumar said that neither his company was in a position to spend money for the repair works of the road, nor it can use the CSR fund for the purpose.
He also said that the MRPL had spent Rs. 1.5 crore in 2010 to repair the same road and maintained it for two years as a one-time measure. Recently, MRPL, along with MSEZ Ltd., reconstructed the Kana-Jokatte Road with concrete at a cost of Rs 30 crore, he said.
Mr Kumar also said that MRPL alone cannot be held responsible for the operation of all bullet tankers on the road as those tankers were being operated by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd., and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. “Those companies are bigger than MRPL,” he said.
The MD said that he has already written to MCC expressing the inability of the company to repair or reconstruct the road. He also suggested that the authorities could examine private investment in reconstruction of the road and levy toll, up to Rs. 200, for bullet tankers for using the road while exempting local vehicle users.
Protest march
Meanwhile, the Nagarika Horata Samithi, Kana, has said that it would take out a padayatra to MRPL, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and BASF on October 6 to press for repairs to the road.
In a press release, convener of the samithi B.K. Imtiyaz alleged that heavy vehicles operating to and from the companies were responsible for the poor condition of the road.
Mr Imtiyaz also slammed local MLA B A Mohiuddin Bava for responding to the problems being faced by the people due to the worn out stretch of the road. “The MLA is giving priority to the road leading to his house than this public road,” he alleged.
Also Read: Your giant vehicles spoiled Suratkal-Kana road; repair it now: Mayor to MRPL
Comments
And the blame game continued. Sufferings of the people too.
Paapa, badava, angilla, chaddilla. hogache.
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