School students stage rasta-roko seeking repair of rain-battered road between Lodpalli, Penchikalpet

School students staged a rasta-roko on Tuesday, demanding that local MLA Dr P Harish Babu take immediate action to repair a road damaged by rains and remove trees and bushes obstructing the stretch between Lodpalli and Penchikalpet.

Students from both government and private schools voiced their anger over what they described as the legislator's inaction. They said the badly damaged, pothole-ridden road was causing them considerable inconvenience, while overgrown trees and bushes had further blocked the stretch. The students raised slogans such as “MLA down down… He must come here,” and demanded that the problem be resolved without delay.

The students, who travel to school in auto-rickshaws every day, said they had been sustaining injuries because of the potholes. They also pointed out that the trees and bushes were restricting visibility and could lead to accidents. They said commuting along the road had become a nightmare.

The students said they would continue their protest until either the concerned officials or the MLA visited the spot and addressed the problem. Some auto-rickshaw drivers also extended their support to the protest.

Meanwhile, a video of the protest circulated widely on social media, following which users on WhatsApp and Facebook urged the legislator to address the issue at the earliest.  (with inputs from media organisations)