Mysore/Mysuru: Senior citizens of Ammathi in Kodagu have written to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai urging him to take urgent measures to repair roads in the Kodagu district that have gone from bad to worse shape.

They have voiced their concern as a majority of major arterial and main roads connecting various parts of Kodagu have deteriorated and have not seen repairs and not even the basic patchwork for many years. Being a tourist spot in Karnataka that fetches crores of rupees as income to the Government through coffee and spices, bad roads are a blot on the district, they said.

Not only the arterial roads, the main roads — State Highway — connecting Dakshina Kannada to Mysuru via Kodagu and also major towns in Kerala with Mysuru through Kodagu are in a bad shape with craters right in the middle of the roads, posing a nightmare to motorists. These roads are generally busy and have become unfit for travel.

The petition on behalf of the senior citizens has been written by SOM reader K.C. Biddappa, Senior Vice-President (Retd.), ITC Limited, who is a regular traveller to Kodagu. It appears the local law-makers have abdicated their responsibility and are totally oblivious to the travails of the hapless travellers in Kodagu district, the petition stated.

It is a sad state of affairs where local bodies like PWD, ZP, Taluk Panchayat, Municipality, Town Panchayat, local MLAs and MLCs have become mute spectators to the mess. Though a handful of roadworks are going on in the district, most of the roads are neglected and even if the roads are repaired and restored, their condition will worsen in just six months, the petition said.

Frequently travelling on such bad pothole-filled roads is an open invitation to spondylitis and slip disc conditions. Several motorcyclists have fallen off the vehicles while negotiating crater-like potholes and four-wheelers land up in workshops frequently due to repairs. Autorickshaws and cars have been damaged while traversing busy stretches, the petition said.

The petition asked the CM to take a drive through any remote part of Kerala or Tamil Nadu where it is a pleasure to drive even in rural areas. Not that the politicians and the officials of these States are paragons of virtue but they do take  pride in providing decent motorable roads to their citizens.

Karnataka justifiably claims to be a national leader in IT, digital technology, education and other sectors but it is a shame and disgrace that our Government has failed in its constitutional responsibility of providing basic facilities to its citizens of Kodagu with reasonably maintained motorable roads, the petition read.