Mangaluru, Sept 17: The coastal city of Mangaluru is currently at the heart of a political and civic storm, with key issues like road development, infrastructure shortages, and local legal disputes dominating the daily discourse. The city is witnessing a push-and-pull between government promises and public frustration, particularly concerning the state of its roads and the crisis in the construction sector.
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, U.T. Khader, announced a significant sanction of Rs 90 crore for road development works within his Mangaluru constituency. He emphasized that work has already begun on major roads in areas such as Ullal, Thokkottu, and Konaje. Khader has issued a stern warning to officials, stating they will be held accountable and may face legal action if accidents occur due to substandard road work.
However, the opposition BJP has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the government's handling of the region's infrastructure. In a day-long protest, the BJP district unit highlighted a severe shortage of sand and laterite stones, claiming that the crisis has brought the construction industry to a standstill. They allege that the government's policies and increased royalty fees on laterite stone have created an "artificial shortage," leaving thousands of construction workers jobless and hindering development projects.
In a separate but related issue, a trial run of new traffic signals at key junctions, including Balmatta, Ambedkar Circle, and Bunts Hostel, was abruptly halted after it led to significant traffic chaos. The city police explained that the signals were temporarily switched off for repairs and that a permanent solution would be implemented after a thorough study of traffic density and timings at each junction. The incident has reignited the long-standing debate over effective traffic management in the city.
Comments
Add new comment