Mangaluru: The construction of a bridge over the Siriya River at Kamajalu-Poovandka in Manila village has been a long-standing dream of locals in this region, as well as the villagers from Kerala. Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai said that a grant of Rs 20 crore has been approved for the construction of the bridge over the Siriya River.The river will serve as a connecting bridge between Kerala and Karnataka. People from Manila and Vitla in Karnataka travelled 28 km to reach the villages across the river. Although Perla in Kasaragod district is very close to Manila, the road was long. For the past 30 years, the people of both states have been petitioning various authorities to help with the bridge’s construction, the MLA said.“Within a few months of winning the election, I conducted a survey on the construction of the bridge over the Siriya River and its pros and cons. Two years into his tenure, I have kept my word by pressuring the govt to approve Rs 20 crore,” he said.On March 28, MLA Ashok Rai brought public works minister Satish Jarkiholi to Manila to inspect the proposed site for the bridge. After inspecting the site, the minister acknowledged the need for a bridge here, stating that the Kerala govt would not build it, so the Karnataka govt must take action since the river is within Karnataka’s territory. He instructed the officials to conduct a survey and submit a report. On April 29, the minister approved the Rs 20 crore grant.The bridge over the Siriya River will be approximately 80m long and 10m wide. To connect the bridge via the Karnataka border, a 1.5 km road needs to be constructed, and a 1 km road is required for connection to Kerala. The state govt has approved a Rs 20 crore grant for the bridge construction, and good roads need to be built on both sides of the bridge. An additional proposal for a Rs 6 crore grant has been submitted, which is expected to be approved soon, said Rai.
