Karkala-Padubidri Road: PWD officials clueless on toll

The work on the construction of a toll gate in Belmannu, on Karkala-Padubidri State Highway, which was stalled following a public outcry, has shown signs of being resumed.

According to sources in the Zilla Panchayat, the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) had entrusted the Mysuru-based Mithra Info Solution to collect the toll.

The toll gate is likely to come up near Government PU College, Belmannu, according to sources. However, officials in Udupi are clueless over the issue.

Udupi Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shivanand Kapashi told DH that neither the Zilla Panchayat nor the gram panchayat had received any information in writing about the toll plaza being planned near Government PU College. “Karnataka State Highways Improvement Project (KSHIP) had been entrusted with the toll project,” he said.

The KRDCL official is reported to have told PWD officials that the government had directed them to collect toll and steps would will be taken to set up the toll plaza.

The PWD executive engineer Chandrashekar said KSHIP had handed over the road to KRDCL.

“It should be handed over to the PWD, as the road improvement responsibility was entrusted to the KSHIP by the PWD,” he said and added that they had sought details on toll project from KRDCL in writing.

“We have not received anything in writing and are unaware about the toll project,” PWD sources said.

The toll gate issue had been raised regularly in Zilla Panchayat meetings by by Zilla Panchayat member Reshma Uday Kumar meetings in the past.