Karnataka - Mangalore   

Panchayats found to be violating Act

Special Correspondent

Licenses have been given to shops on `no development zones'

MANGALORE: Gram panchayats in order to earn additional income are found to be violating the Public Places Act in Dakshina Kannada. As many as 76 gram panchayats are now on the list of the Public Works Department (PWD) for giving licences to shops and for allowing permanent structures to come up on land that has been earmarked as "no development zones" in the gram panchayat area.

As a result, many Major District Roads (MDRs), State Highways and zilla panchayat roads are becoming narrow and the movement of traffic is being affected, the Regional Transport Authority has said. It has directed the PWD, the zilla panchayat and the gram panchayats concerned to remove the existing structures. Many gram panchayats in Mangalore, Puttur, Bantwal and Sullia taluks, which are situated near the MDRs and State Highways, have given permission for the construction of permanent structures for business purposes. This has made movement of vehicles on these roads particularly towards the feeder roads to National Highways and State Highways difficult.

On roads in the Bantwal-Puttur sector small townships have mushroomed at the edge of the roads.

Such developments can be seen in Adyar in Mangalore, Guruvainakere in Belthangady taluk, Madanthyaru in Bantwal taluk and Darbe, Nelyadi and Southadka in Puttur taluk.

According to official sources, there are 136 such violations in the district, which is one of the highest in the region.

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