NewsKarnataka-Bantwal

Bantwal : It was a novel protest by every means. A demonstration staged by  residents of  Siddakatte and Karpe with the co-operation of local organisations,  on February 25, Tuesday demanding  repair of  the Siddakatte-Karpe Zilla Panchayat road was unique in the sense that the protestors who blocked the roads, had a ‘Ganji Oota’ right  on the middle of the road and the food was literally cooked on the road itself.

The grouse of the  protestors was that their several earlier requests to the Public Works Department (PWD) to repair the roads had fallen on deaf ears.

It is learnt an approximate sum of Rs 70 lakhs was needed for the repair of the seven km stretch of road and that the Zilla Panchayat could not sanction such a huge amount. In this backdrop the Zilla Panchayat had urged the  government to sanction grants but of no avail.

Koragappa Naik, Zilla  Panchayat President,  accepted memorandum from the protestors.Copies of the memoranda were also  sent to the Rural Development and Panchayatraj Department. Local leaders including Yashodhara Shetty, Michelle D’Costa, Sulochana Bhat  and the leaders of Autorickshaw Drivers’ Association were present.

The protest started at 9 am and food was served to all in the afternoon. For a while, Moodabidri – BC road also was blocked.  The officials who arrived in the afternoon to  hear the  pleas of the agitators also joined them for the Ganji Oota.