Chamarajanagar: The Karnataka Government has banned movement of heavy vehicles on M.M. Hills-Palar Highway that connects Chamarajanagar with Tamil Nadu, between 9 pm and 6 am with immediate effect.

Chamarajanagar Deputy Commissioner (DC) Charulatha Somal issued orders on Friday imposing a temporary ban on the movement of heavy vehicles bound to Tamil Nadu from Talabetta via M.M. Hills and Palar on Inter-State Highway that passes through Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district.

Following a Madras High Court verdict, vehicular movement was prohibited from 9 pm to 6 am on the Dimbam Ghat stretch of Bengaluru-Coimbatore NH (209) that passes through Satyamangala Tiger Reserve Forest area. Soon after the ban was implemented, trucks and other heavy vehicles started plying on M.M. Hills-Palar Highway, which caused huge damage to the road. Besides the narrow road resulted in frequent accidents on the stretch.

Following complaints, Hanur MLA R. Narendra brought this to the notice of Chamarajanagar District in-Charge Minister V. Somanna during a meeting on Friday, when the Minister directed DC Charulatha Somal and SP T.P. Shivakumar to restrict the movement of heavy vehicles on the route during the night.

Subsequent to the direction, the DC issued the orders according to which heavy vehicles with more than six wheels will not be allowed to travel on the stretch from 9 pm to 6 am. However, those vehicles transporting essential commodities, ambulances, Government vehicles, Fire tenders, Government buses and Light Motor Vehicles will be allowed to travel, the order said.

According to sources, most vehicles were travelling Via Talabetta and M.M. Hills to reach Palar after the movement on Dimbam Ghat section of  Benglauru-Coimbatore Highway was closed for vehicular movement from 9 pm to 6 am.

The movement of heavy vehicles resulted in the road witnessing a gridlock almost daily. Also, a long stretch of the road had sustained damages owing to constant movement of vehicles and taking all this into account, the Chamarajanagar District Administration decided to restrict heavy vehicular movement on M.M. Hills-Palar Highway.

In another order, the DC has imposed restrictions on movement of vehicles on a stretch of Kollegal-M.M. Hills road as road works have been taken up on the banks of Doddaranganatha Lake and Chikkaranganatha Lake that are along the stretch. Accordingly, movement of all type of vehicles has  been  totally banned bothways on the road (4.30 km stretch) that runs in front of Kollegal Court connecting  Siddayanapura-Madhuvanahalli, for a period of 30 days.

As an alternative route, motorists can take Kollegal IB Circle-KSRTC Bus Depot-R.M.Function Hall-Lakkarasanapalya Cross-Hondarabalu- Madhuvanahalli road, covering a distance of 6 km, according to the order.

JD(S) files objection to voting rights granted to Congress

After learning that Congress Mandya MLC Dinesh Gooligowda has been granted the voting rights for the MCC Mayoral Polls. The JD(S) on Saturday, filed objection saying that how Mandya MLC has been given the voting rights in Mysuru Mayoral Polls.

A delegation of JD(S) office-bearers led by advocate N.R. Ravichandregowda met Additional Regional Commissioner Roopa at her office on Saturday and submitted a petition challenging the voting rights granted to Dinesh Gooligowda. Arguing that Dinesh had claimed that he was a resident of Yeshwantpur in Bengaluru and was a voter of the same Constituency (Yeshwantpur), Ravichandregowda said that Dinesh had submitted an affidavit to the Election Commission that he is a native of Maddur taluk in Mandya district. But now, Dinesh has claimed that he owns a house in J.P. Nagar, Mysuru and is eligible for voting in the Mayoral Polls as a part of Srirangapatna taluk of Mandya district comes under MUDA (Mysuru Urban Development Authority) jurisdiction. As Srirangapatna comes under Mandya district, Dinesh’s contention is not correct, Ravichandregowda maintained.

In his petition, Ravichandregowda has sought cancellation of the voting rights of Dinesh on the grounds that the Congress MLC is a voter of Yeshwantpur Assembly Segment in Bengaluru and a native of Maddur taluk and he has no connection with Srirangapatna.

Former Deputy Mayor V. Shailendra, JD(S) leaders Falcon Boregowda, Mudduraj, Satyanarayan, Chandru Gowda and others were part of the delegation.