Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee has urged immediate repairs to the damaged stretches of National Highway-66 that pass through Mangaluru city. Former Congress corporators alleged that poor road design and potholes caused repeated accidents, some of them fatal, and urged the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to take corrective measures within 15 days.Former mayor and District Congress Committee (DCC) treasurer Shashidhar Hegde said that repeated warnings about safety hazards, raised even in Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) council meetings, went unheeded. “Repairs are carried out in May but get washed away by the June rains. It has become a recurring failure. Despite raising the issue multiple times, NHAI failed to act,” he said. Calling NH-66 a lifeline for coastal Karnataka, Hegde pointed out that the route bears heavy vehicular traffic from industries such as NMPA, MRPL, and MCF, but the stretch between Mukka and Jappinamogaru remains a major concern. “Locations like Nanthoor, KPT, Kuntikana, Kottara flyover, and Kodialbail have turned into accident black spots. These are not isolated incidents; people are dying or living with permanent disabilities. Yet, there is no long-term solution in sight,” he said. He also accused elected representatives, including Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta and local MLAs of inaction, and demanded accountability from NHAI officials and contractors, terming the situation “criminal negligence.” Former corporator AC Vinayaraj criticised the continued toll collection despite the poor condition of the road. “Contractors are collecting huge revenues but failing to maintain the highway. Elected representatives are silent. To make matters worse, accident victims are often denied insurance compensation as police book them for negligence,” he alleged. Vinayaraj issued a 15-day ultimatum to authorities to start urgent repair works, warning that the Congress will launch protests and consider legal action if no steps were taken.
