Bandh called to re-lay potholed national highway
Bandh organised by political parties and other organisation received good response
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-10-30 04:21 GMT
Ooty: The bandh call given by political parties and other organisations to highlight the plight of the potholed national highway 67 and seek immediate action to repair it, evoked good response - normal life in Gudalur and Pandalur taluks were hit on Wednesday. It is not an exaggeration to say that the condition of NH 67, which traverses via Gudalur, has almost lost its shape and texture and is worst between Pykara, near Ooty, and Kakkannallah at the Mudumalai tiger reserve, with only potholes dotting the stretch.
Frustrated and irked by the step-motherly treatment meted out to the Gudalur belt residents by the NH and district administration which has failed to find answers to the road issue for the past couple of years, political parties, barring the ruling AIADMK, and other private organisations called for a bandh on Wednesday to highlight their plight.This evoked tremendous support from the people as traders downed their shutters and private vehicles were off the road on Wednesday.
Normal life was paralysed.Saying that the bandh was a total success, Mr M. Thiravidamani (DMK), MLA of Gudalur, convener of the all-political parties and private organisations council in Gudalur Assembly constituency, said the whole Gudalur constituency lent support for the bandh. The success of the bandh reflected the mood of people and the importance of the NH which connects Gudalur with Ooty and Karnataka.
"Though we had been making pleas to the NH and district administration to repair and re-lay this NH, they turned a deaf ear to our request. Now, we want NH road repair to be taken up immediately and a quality road laid with adequate safety measures along the edges of the slopes. The government should also come forward to evolve a mechanism to maintain the NH in the Gudalur sector on a regular basis," he added.