HDMC ask police to ban entry of ore trucks

HDMC ask police to ban entry of ore trucks
Source: HDMC Website

Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation has decided to request Hubli- Dharwad Police Commissioner Narayan Nadmani to impose a ban on the entry of iron ore trucks with' immediate effect.

The demand follows lorry owners' association's refusal to pay Rs 1 crore as their contribution towards the building of a seperate bypass road for iron ore trucks without entering Hubli City.

HDMC Commissioner Manivannan told Deccan Herald that the corporation, in its general body meeting recently, had unanimously adopted a resolution urging police authorities to strictly ban the movement of iron ore trucks inside the city as they would damage the new roads laid a cost of Rs 30 crore.

A copy of this resolution has already been sent to the state government as well as Hubli-Dharwad Cammissionerate of police far necessary action.

Since lorry owners association has refused to contribute its share it had became inevitable far the corporation to ask police authorities to a impose a ban on the entry of iron, ore trucks into Hubli. "The HDMC has borrowed Rs 30 crore loan from banks to' improve roads inside Hubli City and we are not ready to allow those trucks to damage them. It is tax payer's money and it has to' be spent for right purpose" .

He said the corporation did not have powers to collect toll from those trucks. That job had to be done by the government alone by stationing men and machines at various points. One of the options before the HDMC was to request some reputed contractors to take up road construction work on "BOT" (build, operate and transfer) basis so that they could collect toll from such trucks.

HDMC in due consultation with district administration would certainly take an appropriate decision within next one week. "The corporation has a duty to protect interest of citizens and whatever decision we take has to help them".