Blockade of manganese ore lorries begins

Byndoor (Karnataka), Sept 1: The apolitical indefinite blockade of manganese ore lorries at Ottinene, near here, demanding re-installation of the removed weigh bridge by the Iron Ore Exporters Forum, began today.

Addressing the protesters at Ottinene, Udupi BJP MLA K Raghupathy Bhat reiterated that the blockade of all lorries, carrying manganese ore from Bellary to New Mangalore Port, would continue till the removed weigh bridge was re-installed by the Forum.

Both the lorry owners and the Forum have failed to keep up their promise at a recent KDP meeting in Udupi that they would not ply manganese ore-laden lorries from August one till the weigh bridge was reinstalled. The continued running of the lorries had caused severe damage to NH-17 and eight major bridges, he alleged.

Stating that several parties have extended support to the public agitation, he appealed to the state government to take proper steps to ensure that all manganese ore lorries were weighed at the loading point in Bellary.

The Chief Minister should give strict instructions to the mine ore exporters to reinstall the removed weigh bridge at Ottinene, the entrance point on the northern border of Udupi district, he said, demanding criminal action against the Forum for unauthorisedly removing the weigh bridge, installed by them.

In view of the advance notice given by Mr Bhat about the blockade to the lorry and mine owners, the frequency of ore lorries was thin today and the protesters could stop only eight to ten lorries from 1000 hrs to 1300 hrs.

UNI