Holding heavy vehicles operating to and from Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) responsible for the bad condition of the Surathkal-Kana-MRPL Road, Mayor Harinath on Tuesday threatened to stage a dharna in front of MRPL if the company did not take up repair works within 20 days from now.
Addressing presspersons, the Mayor said that the company should own up responsibility for the damaged state of the road. The Mayor said that he would be part of an agitation by civil society members if the company did not take up the repair works within the given deadline.
At one point, the Mayor said that the councillors of the corporation would also protest against the company for the poor state of the road.
The Mayor said that about 90 per cent of heavy vehicles plying on the road are operating to and from the MPRL. It required about Rs. 3 crore now to repair the 4.5-km damaged stretch.
The corporation did not have enough fund to be spent on it. The company should use its corporate social responsibility fund for the purpose.
Mr. Harinath said that the civic body had written to the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, the office of the Chief Minister and MRPL drawing their attention to the damaged road. There was no response from the company to the letter. The Chief Minister’s office in a September 26 letter to the Deputy Commissioner has asked to take suitable action. But the condition of the road remained as it is.
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 alleged that councillors of the corporation concerned and the company officials are not responding to the problems being faced by people due to the worn out stretch of the road.
