Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel has requested the Southern Railway to ensure the completion of the road underbridge (RuB) at the Jeppu-Mahakali Padpu railway level crossing by March 2024. He made this appeal while inspecting the ongoing works under the Smart City Mission. During his inspection, Kateel informed that he had instructed the officials of Mangaluru Smart City (MSCL) to finish the approach road to the RuB by May 2024. According to him, the RuB project, estimated at a cost of Rs 490.9 million was in progress. The railway authorities had initially committed to completing the RuB at Mahakali Padpu by May 2024. Simultaneously, MSCL had plans to wrap up the approach road by April 2024 in accordance with the tender conditions. However, Kateel expressed his desire for the railway work to be concluded by March and the approach road work by MSCL to be finished by January. He stated, "The MSCL has successfully completed 55 projects. Out of the Rs 10 billion grant received under the Smart City Mission, Rs 7.45 billion has been utilised. Additionally, four projects, being executed under the PPP mode as part of the Smart City Mission, are making progress." Regarding the four-lane road from Padil to Pumpwell (Mahaveera Circle), Kateel pointed out that certain tasks related to the 24?7 drinking water supply scheme (Jalasiri) and utility shifting by GAIL, Mescom, and BSNL were pending completion on that stretch. He emphasised that he had instructed the officials to expedite the work on the stretch once the utility shifting was accomplished.
