State minister orders shelving toll plaza

Padubidri (Udupi district) : State Minister for Public Works Department (PWD) Sathish Jarkhiholi has ordered the stoppage of all works related to the construction of a toll plaza on the Padubidri-Karkala state highway at a place called Kanchinadka in Udupi district.

The order was passed after a delegation of the stakeholders from Padubidri and Karkala convinced the minister that the toll plaza would be superfluous as there is already a toll plaza fully functional at Padubidri, just 7.50 kilometres from the proposed site for a toll plaza in Kanchinadka. The minister has directed the contract holders, Bharati Constructions, to withhold all construction activities, planning, and execution of the project.

In the meeting with the minister and the subsequent order, the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (K.R.D.C.L.) was asked to start the above toll plaza construction work on behalf of Bharti Conquest Company. However, the said Kanchinadka area has a road with a large number of public and vehicular traffic, and so far neither construction of dividers, construction of service roads, construction of toilets, nor construction of a rest house has been done.

Further, already 5 km from Padubidri Junction on State Highway-66 towards Mangalore. A toll plaza has been functioning under the National Highway Authority near Hejamadi, and the proposed Kanchinadka area is only 7.50 km. Due to the distance, the construction of this toll plaza is a hasty decision and would economically harm the interests of a large population in their day-to-day lives.

Villagers, students, small businessmen, labourers, and drivers of cabs and autos have to pay double fares. The representatives present in the meeting expressed their concern that the said people will suffer financially due to this and expressed their opinion to cancel the duty collection, the minister observed. “It is another matter that the stakeholders have called for a total bandh of all activities on Padubidri-Karkala road on 24 Aug if their demands are not met,” the minister observed. I feel their concern is genuine and needs to be addressed. immediately, which is why I have directed the contract holders and the KRDCL to halt all further processes till the day when things are favourable to the stakeholders, the minister stated in the order.

After this order was released on Friday (Aug 23), the stakeholders led by their leader Sunil Kumar celebrated and distributed sweets and commended the PWD minister Sathish Jarkiholi.