In an interactive meeting organised in the Chamber office here on Wednesday, KCCI President Kumble Narasimha Prabhu said that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had promised o finish the four laning works and the repair works of Shiradi Ghats before March 31, but have completed only 22 percent of the work yet. Monsoons are only a month away and if the condition persists, Mangalore will be isolated from the rest of the state again like during the previous monsoon.

 The chamber has reached the top central government officials and concerned ministers many a time, but in vain, Mr Prabhu said.

He added that they will submit a memorandum with this regard to the Deputy Commissioner and even resort to picketing if there isn’t enough response from the authorities.

He requested the public to support the walkathon and urged various organisations to participate.

Pending bills
Analysing various factors that delayed the work, KCCI Secretary Srinivas Kamath said that the low tender rates and pending bills are one of the main reasons the contractors decline to continue with the highway works.

More accidents
The bad condition of the roads have increased the accident rates considerably, informed CEO of AJ Hospital Dr Prashanth Marla, adding that it also delays the patients from reaching the hospitals in cases of emergency, thereby adding to the death rate. He suggested that more police personnel should be engaged in controlling traffic on the highway.

NHAI assurance
NHAI Project Director P N Gawasane, who was supposed to take part in the meeting, stepped back due to official reasons. However, he conveyed the message that the NH-17 stretch from Surathkal to Nanthoor will be completed by June 2008 and that a 9.5 km stretch on NH-48 will be completed by December 2008.