The Hindu - Karnataka 17.08.2009
Corporation to widen 22 roads
Staff Correspondent
| KSIIDCL to conduct feasibility study on building a ring road in Mangalore |
Concreting of some major roads in city estimated to cost Rs. 125 crore
The 38-km long and 100-ft wide ring road construction to be taken up under PPP model
— Photo: R. Eswarraj 
MAKING A POINT: N. Yogish Bhat, MLA, addressing the Central Market Merchants’ Association meet in Mangalore on Sunday.
MANGALORE: The Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) has identified 22 roads in the city for widening, according to N. Yogish Bhat, MLA.
A survey was being conducted in this regard, he said after inaugurating the annual meeting of the Central Market Merchants’ Association here on Sunday.
The roads identified for widening included Bhawanthi Street, Car Street, Mannagudda-Bunder Road, and Mahamai Temple-Dongarakery Canara High School Road, Mr. Bhat said.
The Government, through the city corporation, would concrete some major roads here at an estimated cost of Rs. 125 crore. Concreting of some roads had been completed, some were under way while the work on a few others would begin after the projects at hand were completed, he said.
Mr. Bhat, who is also chairman of the Karnataka State Industrial Investment and Development Corporation Ltd. (KSIIDCL), said that the Government was examining a proposal to lay a 38-km-long ring road in the city. The KSIIDCL would soon conduct a survey in this regard. In addition, the Government had planned to construct a marine aquarium park at Tannirbavi and a rope-bridge across the Gurpur between Tannirbavi and Sulthan Bathery to attract tourists, he said.
Mr. Bhat said that a team of officials, comprising the Director of the Department of Tourism and the Managing Director of KSIIDCL, would visit the city on Monday and conduct spot inspection for taking up the three projects. Personnel from the Coastal Karnataka Development Authority would also join the team, he added.
Ring road
According to the plan, the proposed 100-ft-wide ring road will branch out on either side of the Nethravathi bridge at Ullal and meet at Gurupur bridge at Kulur on the National Highway 17. It would connect NH 17, NH 48 and NH 13. The KSIIDCL would conduct a survey in this regard. This project would have to be taken up under public-private- partnership (PPP) model. The ring road would help reduce traffic congestion in the city, he said.
The MLA said that construction of marine aquarium park would require Rs. 250 crore. This project also would have to be taken up under PPP model.
Mr. Bhat said that there was a need to construct a super speciality hospital here under PPP model to help the poor. Patients could be offered services at 50 per cent of the treatment cost. Construction of the hospital would require Rs. 200 crore, he said.
J.I. Kittur, Joint Director, Department of Prosecution, and Law Officer in the Office of Director General and Inspector General of Police, Bangalore, was felicitated on the occasion as he had served as public prosecutor in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts till recently.
President of the association K. Shashidharan and general secretary Hameed Kandak were present.
