National Highway No. 17 blocked for three hours

Karwar, March 5: The “rasta roko” agitation by members of Sand Extractors and Transporters' Association, Karwar, disrupted the movement of vehicles on National Highway 17 for more than three hours on Friday.

The highway was blocked at the Majali check-post on Karwar-Goa border by the association members in support of their demands.

The students taking the examinations and patients being taken to hospitals, besides general public, bore the brunt of the agitation as thousands of vehicles were blocked on either side of the border by a handful of agitators.

The association was demanding lifting of ban on the transportation of the Kali river sand to Goa from Karwar.

The Government had banned the inter-State transportation after some people made unsuccessful attempt to export the river sand to Mauritius about two years ago.

Although the river sand was allowed to be sold in the domestic market, the union leaders were adamant that they would sell sand in Goa.

This was the second road block staged by the association in the last one year.

A few months ago National Highway 17 was blocked by the association and sand was transported to Goa defying the police and the administration.

But on Friday, the police blocked the sand-laden lorries at Kali bank and did not allow them to move to the border. About 50 protesters squatted on the road demanding that they be allowed to take the lorries to Goa Although the road block began at 10 a.m., the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police arrived at the spot after one-and-a-half hours. The officials requested the agitators to clear the road but they refused.

After about 45 minutes of talk by the Superintendent of Police and the Deputy Commissioner, the agitators agreed to vacate the road.

They warned if sand transportation to Goa was not allowed by March 10, they would block the highway again on March 11.

The attitude of the district administration angered the commuters who had to wait under scorching sun for three hours.

Mark, a German national, wondered how the police allowed a handful of people to hold the area to ransom.

Prema, who was going to Goa for treatment, said it was shameful that the senior officers were pleading with the protesters to vacate the road instead of acting sternly against them.

But a police officer said they were worried about criticism if they used force against the protesters.