Mandya: Following numerous representations seeking construction of  Pandavapura bypass road on the 10-lane Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway, the works on which is underway, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has given nod for the construction of the bypass.

The nod comes after RS MP and former Prime Minister H.D. Devegowda, who is also the JD(S) supremo, accompanied by current MLAs and former Ministers H.D. Revanna and C.S. Puttaraju met the Union Minister at New Delhi recently and presented a memorandum.

The villagers have been demanding a bypass road that connects Pandavapura from the 10-lane Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway near Tubinakere. After representations failed to evoke any response, protests and road blocks were staged under the leadership of Melukote MLA C.S. Puttaraju. But these did not yield any results.

However, former PM H.D. Devegowda’s representation to Nitin Gadkari bore fruit as the Union Minister gave the nod for the construction of bypass road to Pandavapura from Tubinakere itself, which otherwise would have considerably increased the distance between Pandavapura and the district Headquarters Mandya by road.