Traffic movement on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway was blocked at Hanakere in Mandya district of Karnataka for about two hours on February 20 due to a protest by villagers demanding an underpass.
People parked bullock carts on the highway at Hanakere to press for their demand to immediately take up the construction of an underpass to facilitate the movement of local villagers. They threatened to continue their protest till authorities begin construction of an underpass.
“We will continue the protest indefinitely, blocking the main highway. Let traffic ply on the service road,” said one of the villagers.
With vehicles piling up on either side of the blocked highway, police appealed to the villagers to vacate the road citing the inconvenience to women and children in the vehicles.
Proposal pending before NHAI
Superintendent of Mandya district police N. Yathish reached the spot and appealed to villagers to end their protest.
Officials from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), who arrived at the protest venue, said a proposal for construction of an underpass is pending before the Authority. “Construction of the underpass will begin as soon as the project is approved,” an NHAI official informed the protesters.
But, the protesters refused to budge saying they had given a representation to the authorities on the need for construction of an underpass at Hanakere more than eight months ago.
Villagers forcibly evicted from highway
When the protesters refused to yield, police forcibly evicted them and cleared the highway for movement of traffic.
“The villagers had not taken permission for the protest,” said a Mandya district police official, who added that 10 people leading the protest were arrested, and later released.
Mysuru MP Prathap Simha said the demand for an underpass, made by the Karnataka State Farmers’ Association as well as the BJP, had been communicated to the NHAI. The matter will be resolved after construction of the road is completed, he said.
