Farmers protest poor condition of highway stretch

Mysuru: Expressing displeasure with the pathetic condition of the road between KR Nagar Railway Station and Sagarkatte, members of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) on Monday protested in front of the National Highways Authority of India’s subdivision office in the city. The protesters warned of laying siege to the office if the agency failed to repair the road at the earliest.
Led by KRRS president Badagalapura Nagendra, the protesters alleged that the authorities concerned had turned a Nelson’s eye to the poor condition of the road despite repeated pleas by farmers and locals for the past one year. The road in question is one of the shortest routes connecting Mandya and Mysuru. The road from Sagarkatte in KR Nagar taluk in Mandya district leads to Gunguralchatra in Mysuru.
Nagendra said that the shoddy condition of the road resulted in buses and heavy vehicles refusing to ply on the stretch, inconveniencing residents in and around the stretch. “Children in five villages are affected as a result. Accidents are commonplace on the road, particularly after dusk. We want the authorities to address the situation at the earliest,” Nagendra added.
The protest registered participation of farmers from seven villages that lie on the stretch. Officials of the NHAI received a memorandum from the protesting ryots, and assured them of initiating work to fix the stretch. “We will lock the NHAI office, and protest in front of Mysuru district in-charge minister GT Devegowda’s residence if the problem is not solved,” said Nagendra.
Many senior members of KRRS were among those who participated in the protest.