The Hindu : Karnataka / Madikeri News : Civic problems plague Madikeri CMC

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 30, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Madikeri

Civic problems plague Madikeri CMC

By Our Staff Correspondent

MADIKERI, DEC. 29. Despite being upgraded into City Municipal Council from a Town Municipal Council a year ago, the Madikeri CMC is plagued with problems of sanitation and water supply.

The open drains that clogged during the monsoon five months ago remain the same. Stink emanates from the flowing sewage and rotting trash along the flanks of the open drains.

Water supply is the worst hit due to the rampant power failure. Various associations and organisations here are planning a massive protest against the erratic power supply to the district, which has come up much before the summer.

Vacancies

The vacancies existing in the CMC have added to the woes. Three posts of junior engineers are vacant for the last two years. There is just one Assistant Engineer handling all engineering jobs. To posts of health inspectors are vacant, that of senior health inspector for the last two years and the junior for the last one year. The stray cattle, pigs, dogs menace have increased manifold.

Sanitation was privatised on an experimental basis last year in 12 wards. After initial hiccups, it improved, but the contract is expiring in two days (December 31). The under-staffed CMC might have to handle the sanitation work on its own in the coming days.

To add to the difficulties, the Commissioner of the CMC, Rangaswamy, who is yet to complete a year in office, was transferred a few days ago. No significant development has taken place since the previous CMC body headed by Kaveramma Somanna laid down officer after expiry of its term in June.

According to one of the BJP councillors, Shajeel Krishnan, the State Government has submitted a reservation list to the High Court, based on the "Ghorpade Formula" for the posts of presidents and vice-presidents of the CMCs in the State. This was reportedly stated by the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, H.K. Patil, who was on a private visit here on Sunday last.

Councillors' letter

Cutting across party lines, the councillors, in a letter dated December 23, have demanded the Administrative Officer, who is Headquarters Assistant to the Deputy Commissioner, convene a meeting of the CMC to discuss various issues about the development of the city.

The signatories include, apart from Mr. Krishnan, K.S. Ramesh, S.C. Subramani, Balakrishna, Dharmapala Prabhu, Monty Ganesh, Leena Sudarshan, Vasanta Keshava, all from the BJP, Nanda Kumar, Ramamani, Philomena, Kumuda Subbaiah from the Congress, and A.C. Devaiah, independent.

Some citizens have expressed doubts about the commencement of the public works in 23 wards of the city for which tenders were opened recently. The transfer of the Commissioner could delay things.

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