Funds should be allocated before declaring NHs as local roads: Raghupathi Bhat
Udupi: The former MLA Raghupathi Bhat has opposed the state cabinet decision of writing to the Centre to declare some stretches of the National Highways passing through the cities limits as maintained by local urban authorities with proper preparations.
Speaking at a press meet held at the press club Raghupathi Bhat said that the move is expected to bring relief to liquor shop owners near national highways. If the Centre approves the state’s proposal it could help in circumventing to a certain extent the recent Supreme Court order banning the sale of liquor within 500 metres of the state and national highways.
According to sources, of the 6,572-km stretch of the national highways in the state, 858 km pass through urban pockets, including city corporations, city municipal councils, town municipal councils and town panchayats.
The proposed plan could help 70% of the 6,018 outlets, including bar and restaurants, from being shut or relocated by July 1, the day on which the Supreme Court order comes into effect in Karnataka.
The state cabinet decision is acceptable but the state government has made the decision only favouring the liquor shop owners. There are no any issues of maintaining the roads whether by the local urban authorities or state government. Once the centre approves the proposal, the maintenance of the roads will come under the local urban authorities and it will be a big burden to them. Before deciding about it in the cabinet, government should consult with the local urban authorities.
If the Centre approves the state’s proposal the development work which was already approved by the central government in Udupi city limits will be stopped. After strong efforts of Shobha Karandlaje MP Udupi-Chikkmagaluru, the detailed project report of the Malpe-Manipal-Thirthahalli road has been approved by the National Highways Authority of India. The union government has issued Gadget notification for land acquisition. From the state cabinet decision the Malpe-Manipal-Thirthahalli will be stopped. Before writing to the Centre the state government should allocate proper funds to the Malpe-Manipal-Thirthahalli road he demanded.
Yashpal Suvarna, Praveen Shetty, Jagadish Achar, Prabhakar Poojary were present in the press meet.
Is Liquour a essential Commodity that we need to declassify highways. Its a vice which kills people.
We loose much more than what the government earns through excise revenue.