Locals confront contractors over poor roadwork on Guruvayanakere-Uppinangady route

Uppinangady: Local residents staged a protest against the substandard work on filling potholes along the Guruvayanakere-Uppinangady road. They summoned officials to the spot and confronted contractors for the shoddy execution.

The road, riddled with potholes, had caused significant inconvenience to commuters, leading to widespread complaints and protests. Responding swiftly, MLA Harish Poonja instructed the concerned department to utilize available funds for immediate repairs.

The Public Works Department (PWD) allocated Rs 19 lakh from the State Highway Annual Maintenance Fund for the work. However, heavy rains between Karaya and Kalleri rendered the road unmotorable. Villagers had earlier filled the potholes with stones and mud to facilitate vehicular movement.

The protest arose when contractors began patchwork without removing the mud filled by villagers. Local residents, including Jayaram Acharya, Jagadish Gowda, and Anand Acharya, questioned the contractors, leading to a heated exchange.

The protestors contacted Junior Engineer Varsha of the PWD, who visited the site and instructed the contractors to carry out the work properly.

The contractors promised to conduct the repairs systematically, and the work is now progressing as per guidelines.