Mandya: Mandya District Minister K. Gopalaiah said yesterday that the Government would seek additional underpasses and subways on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway for pedestrians to cross.

Speaking to reporters in Mandya after inspecting parts of the Highway that were marooned under water last week, he said that the project would greatly benefit the people but there were minor issues with regard to the service roads and all of them would be rectified. “Many villagers have complained that it was difficult to cross the access-controlled Highway as there are no underpasses. A proposal will be submitted to the Centre and the issue would be brought to the notice of both CM Basavaraj Bommai and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari,” he said.

The Minister and other elected representatives toured the Highway from Nidaghatta to Naguvanahalli in Srirangapatna. MP Sumalatha Ambareesh, Legislators M. Srinivas and Dinesh Gooligowda, DC S. Aswathi SP N. Yathish and others were present.

Villagers meeting the Minister and elected representatives lashed out at the NHAI officers for not providing underpasses for villagers along the Highway to cross from one point to another. “NHAI has provided underpasses wherever there are hotels, restaurants and prominent layouts but they have denied the same to villagers,” they alleged.