Wed Feb 05 13:38:12 IST 2025: ## Mangaluru Protest Demands Speedy Highway Completion, Toll Abolition

**Mangaluru, February 5, 2025** – A group of organizations, Samana Manaska Sanghatanegalu, staged a protest in Mangaluru today demanding the speedy completion of several National Highway projects in Dakshina Kannada district and the abolition of toll collection on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru NH 75.

The protesters, led by Muneer Katipalla, convener of the Tollgate Virodhi Horata Samithi, criticized the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the slow progress on several key projects, including the widening of the B.C. Road-Adda Hole stretch of NH 75, the Bikarnakatte-Sanoor stretch of NH 169, and the Punjalakatte-Charmadi stretch of NH 73. They cited the delays as severely impacting the district’s economy and residents’ daily lives.

Katipalla further demanded that the NHAI adhere to guidelines on toll plaza placement, insisting they should be spaced at 60km intervals. He also urged for the immediate renewal of the pothole-ridden B.C. Road-Surathkal stretch of NH 75 and NH 66 Port Connectivity Road, highlighting the need for improved shoulder drains and service roads, along with the swift completion of the new six-lane bridge across the Phalguni river. The group also pressed for the expedited completion of the grade separator at Nanthoor Junction.

The protesters appealed to Karnataka Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi and MP Captain Brijesh Chowta to intervene and ensure the timely completion of the projects. They warned of escalating protests if their demands are not met.

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