The Hindu : Karnataka / Mysore News : Panel to study loopholes in water supply

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 21, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

Panel to study loopholes in water supply

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, JAN. 20. The severe water shortage in the city last week echoed in the Council meeting of the Mysore City Corporation today. The meeting resolved to constitute a committee to identify the loopholes in the city's water supply system.

Among other things, the committee, comprising the Mayor, Dakshinamurthy, the Deputy Mayor, Manjula, and chairpersons of all standing committees, will carry out ward-wise inspection to understand the functioning of water pumps and ensure that defunct hand pumps are repaired, the Deputy Mayor, Manjula, who chaired today's meeting in the absence of Mr. Dakshinamurthy said.

She said that at present, pumps are managed by private contractors who have been awarded contract by the Corporation for handling and managing the pumps. The MCC had been incurring losses due to these defunct pumps.

Deadline to resort

The Council resolved to issue a deadline to a resort on Nanjnagud Highway on the outskirts of the city for payment of taxes and arrears to the Corporation. The resolution asked the proprietor of the resort to pay up all the dues within the next 15 days.

Discussion over the issue witnessed heated debates by members who questioned officials for the lapses in pursuing the owner over the collection of taxes. Cutting across the party lines, members said that the resort has not obtained trade license to run its bar and restaurant besides not paying taxes.

Lapses questioned

Initiating the discussion, the former Mayor, Narayan, asked why the Corporation did not try to take action against the resort though it had not obtained the trade license to run a bar. "Why were the officials keeping quiet even though taxes have not been paid since its inception?" he asked.

The BJP Corporator, M.G. Mahesh, said that failure to collect taxes would encourage others to construct new commercial buildings without paying taxes. Under the rules, it is mandatory that hotels have to obtain permission from the Health Standing Committee. The MCC has become incapable of demolishing illegal structures, he alleged.

When the Deputy Mayor, Manjula, sought an explanation from the officials over the lapse, the Deputy Director of Town Planning, Kempaiah, said that the site belonged to the MCC and the proprietor had neither obtained trade license nor completion report (CR).

The MCC Commissioner, A.B. Ibrahim, said that the land earlier belonged to the Nachanahalli Gram Panchayat that was handed over to the MCC in 1995.

Even though many notices had been issued, the proprietor of the resort has not responded, he said.

Later, the council adopted a resolution to send a fresh notice after fixing a deadline of 15 days when the Janata Dal (Secular) Member, Cheluve Gowda, insisted that action should be taken after fixing a deadline.

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