Udupi: The Indrali Railway Bridge Action Committee staged a protest on Tuesday, marking April Fool’s Day to symbolise what they described as nine years of unfulfilled promises by the highway authorities regarding the completion of the Railway Overbridge (ROB) project in Indrali.

Addressing the gathering, committee convener Amrith Shenoy criticised the prolonged delay and accused the district administration of failing to provide a clear explanation despite repeated enquiries. “The continuous postponement of the project has caused immense hardship to the public. Officials have missed multiple deadlines, effectively ‘fooling’ the people,” he said.

As part of the protest, a procession was taken out in the city, during which civic activist Ansar Ahmed had his head tonsured and symbolically sought alms from the public to highlight the authorities' inaction. Demonstrators also carried a mock structure of the ROB from Kalsanka Junction to Indrali, where it was placed at the protest site.

Shenoy, who also had his head tonsured, stated that he had personally assisted 20 to 25 injured individuals in reaching hospitals due to the poor road conditions in Indrali and the ongoing ROB construction. “Apart from blacklisting the contractor, no concrete steps have been taken to expedite the project. Even Member of Parliament Kota Srinivas Poojary has admitted his inability to resolve the matter,” he said.

Former Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake, addressing the protesters, criticised the lack of progress despite Udupi previously being represented in Parliament by Shobha Karandlaje. “While National Highway (NH) projects have commenced in Santhekatte and along the Malpe-Agumbe stretch, they remain incomplete. Had the technical reports been prepared diligently, this situation could have been avoided,” he said.

Hundreds of people, including students, participated in the demonstration, voicing their frustration over the prolonged delays and demanding accountability from officials and elected representatives.