Family members of the victims of the tragic road accident on Hubballi-Dharwad Bypass last month will gather at Itigatti near Dharwad (the accident spot) on Saturday to pay homage to the deceased and also stage a peaceful protest seeking widening of the road.
Addressing presspersons in Dharwad on Wednesday, KPCC media analyst P.H. Neeralakeri said that around 50 members of the 14 families who were affected by the tragic accident will participate in a mass prayer and peaceful protest.
As many as 12 persons were killed in the road accident.
Mr. Neeralakeri said that the family members are participating in a peaceful protest as they did not want other families to suffer because of the dreaded narrow road stretch.
They will be submitting a memorandum to the officials of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), he said.
Mr. Neeralakeri said that despite repeated pleas and complaints, the NHAI officials and elected representatives from the region have failed to take steps for widening the road stretch which has taken several lives so far.
He said that the road has been laid unscientifically and there is no ambulance, crane and even emergency staff. He said that families of road accident victims are being made to pay for availing crane services.
He said that a two-month deadline has been given for stopping toll collection on the bypass road and if it is not stopped, then an agitation will be launched to get it stopped.
Mr. Neeralakeri said that despite the State having three Union Ministers, including Pralhad Joshi, who represented Dharwad, the problem has not been resolved.
Even a meeting which was supposed to take place on January 27 on the road widening issue has not taken place so far, he said.
