Traffic on Mysuru-Bengaluru NH-275 held up for four hours; Police resort to lathi charge
Srirangapatna: Over 400 farmers of Hanakere near Mandya blocked the busy Mysuru-Bengaluru Expressway (National Highway 275) in a flash protest today demanding the construction of an underpass to facilitate their smooth movement on the access-controlled and tolled road.
The road block began at around 8.30 in the morning and farmers had brought many bullock carts and placed them across the road blocking the journey towards Bengaluru and towards Mysuru.
The bullock carts were made to stand across the road at many frequent intervals and this caused massive traffic jams on both sides of the Expressway that extended to many kilometres on either side.
The Police, who were caught unaware of the flash protest, tried to convince the irate villagers and farmers to move but they did not budge.
As a result of rasta roko, traffic was held up on the busy road from 8.30 am to 12 noon.
Vehicles were stranded up to more than 20 kilometres on the Highway. The Police finally resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the agitating farmers and villagers.
As the vehicular traffic lined up on the Expressway, the jurisdictional Mandya and Maddur Police made alternative arrangements through Maddur, K.M. Doddi and Malavalli.
Vehicles that had already reached Hanakere from both sides, however, had to wait for long hours in the scorching heat.
Though some of the protesters were cleared from the road at noon by force, the bullock carts and the animals were stranded on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Expressway, making the job of the Police even tougher.
Later, the Police managed to clear the Highway at around 12.30 pm but the agitating farmers were seen regrouping in spite of their leaders being arrested.
Villagers of Hanakere, Mallayyanadoddi, Bore and surrounding areas in Mandya District have been demanding an underpass as the Mysuru-Bengaluru Expressway hampered their movement from one side to another and due to this, they had to take a longer and circuitous route to reach their destinations.
“We have given many representations to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for an underpass to facilitate movement of people, livestock and also farm produce. Our pleas have fallen on deaf ears and even the elected representatives of Mandya have ignored our plight,” alleged Madhuchandan and Prasanna of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha.
As the protest intensified, National Highways Authority of India Chief Engineer Daivik visited the place and tried to placate the agitated farmers.
He told the protesting farmers that their concerns will be brought to the notice of the higher officers.
However, the Chief Engineer’s assurance did not find any takers in the crowd and farmer leaders tore the physical copies of the Expressway project plan.
What an expressway to trouble the commuters, just assemble few goons and demand. Dint they realise they need an underpass from past two years during highway construction. They should find a suitable way to put forth their demands and also fulfill them
Wonderful, when the Neanderthals like MP Simha are boasting about this civil engineering marvel, and proudly consider this as an achievement of his BJP central government, this happens. There will be more agitations, bandhs and lathi charges, more demands for underpasses, overhead passes and by passes after it is properly opened by Narendra Modi, who will boasts about how India is an advanced country, and all Western countries should come learn about India etc.. that kind of bullshit.
Wait for more chaos and violence at the toll gates, more armed robberies and accidents along the Highway. Car loving Indians will not rest until they re given fast passage, ignoring the reality that the country is massively populated, and every one wants car. The congestion in this Highway, will kill off the imaginary advantages that idioyts like MP Simha dreamed about!
Criticize the works. But please don’t use words like Idiot and any other bad languages.
What an expressway to trouble the hapless commuters who start their journey thinking they will reach destination in just 90 min.
Just assemble few goons and block highway and take everybody to ransom. These villagers know to pinch where it hurts the most.
Election year, hapless government will not even dare to file cases against them.
Greetings. One cannot allow bulockbcarts, tractors , three wheelers, two wheelers and slow moving vehicle. Also people dry grains and other items. One has to enter at appropriate exist and entry point . Aldo feeds stocks from one to another side being done in many places. Expressway is global and must be respected.
Beautiful,,no political party concern about farmers,, BJP not respecting farmers ???
Yes, when that idiot MP Simha is busy suggesting this Highway name as Cauveri/Kaveri, he is so far out of touch with people like Farmers who are affected by this Highway , as this Highway runs through Farm lands, obliterating some of them, the Farmers are now up in arms, deamnding an underpass. There will be more demands too.
This Highway is being constructed keeping an eye on the election. The consequence of creating this Highway will be to benefit the criminals who will use this Highway for their activities. There is already plenty of activities by Malayalee criminal gangs who use this Highway to spread their Hawaala money operations directed from the UAE resident Malayalee criminal bosses, masquerading as businessmen. They were promised direct UAE-MYsore non-stop flight when the Mysore airport is able to receive jet aircraft. These Malayalee crime bosses who currently smuggkle gold into Kerala want to diversify their operations to Mysore and beyond , and plans are afoot to expand the gold distribution in towns along the Mysore-Bangalore corridor. This Highway comes so handy for them! Warehouses are purchased in Mysore and Mandya a other properties too to facilitate both Smuggled gold distribution and Hawaala money operations.