Protest staged over incomplete ROB at Indrali

Udupi: The Indrali Railway Bridge Action Committee staged a protest on Tuesday, coinciding with April 1, accusing the highway authority of deceiving the public by failing to complete the railway overbridge (ROB) project at Indrali for nine years. The demonstrators chose April Fool's Day to highlight their frustration over the prolonged delay in construction.
Amrith Shenoy, chief convener of the action committee, said that despite making several queries, the district administration failed to reveal the reason for the delay in the implementation of the project. While people are forced to face inconvenience due to the delay in the construction of the ROB, officials seem to be fooling the people, he alleged.
Except for blacklisting the contractor, no other measures were taken to expedite the ROB works for many years. Even MP Kota Shrinivasa Poojary expressed his helplessness in this regard, he said.
Action committee members took out a procession in the city, where activist Ansar Ahmed had his head tonsured and sought alms from the public to humiliate the authorities concerned. They also carried a mock ROB structure during the procession from Kalsanka Junction to Indrali.
Former urban development minister Vinay Kumar Sorake blamed former MP Shobha Karandlaje for allegedly not taking initiatives to expedite the ROB project. He also expressed concern over the non-completion of the development of the national highway on the Malpe – Agumbe stretch.
The public, including students who participated in the protest, expressed their anger against officials and people's representatives for the inordinate delay in the construction of the ROB.