The Hindu : Karnataka / Mangalore News : Mayor irked with official reaction to development works

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 26, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mangalore

Mayor irked with official reaction to development works

By M. Raghuram

MANGALORE, FEB. 25. The Mayor of Mangalore, Purandaradasa Kulur, has taken exception to the alleged official apathy towards development projects in Mangalore.

He is particularly angry about the "official inaction" towards the proposal to build a second vented dam across the Nethravati.

Airing his displeasure over what he termed neglect of several developmental works including water supply, revenue collection, installing streetlights and road maintenance, the Mayor told The Hindu that he is not in favour of convening the meetings of the Mangalore City Corporation council anymore.

The one to be held on Monday will be the last one if the officials do not respond to the queries pertaining to development works, he warned.

He said some important schemes such as the water augmentation project, which has been cleared by the council, has not been taken up by the officials concerned at the appropriate forums for getting technical and administrative clearances from the Government. He said the proposal for the second dam across the Nethravati, which is proposed to be built at a cost of Rs. 20 crores under the financial package of the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (KUIDFC), has been sidelined by the officials. He suspected that intense politicking and lobbying is on in the official circles against these projects.

Mr. Kulur said the decision to provide water to the Ullal Town Panchayat areas from the dam at Thumbay was taken in the absence of the corporators or the Mayor at the Deputy Commissioner's office. He said this is an undemocratic move by the officials and they have no business to take such important decisions in the absence of the Mayor or the corporators of the area.

Threatening to cancel all the meetings of the council in future, Mr. Kulur said he feels that there is no need for a democratically elected council if decisions are taken arbitrarily.

If the people of Mangalore still want the council meetings to be held, they should indicate it through letters to the editor or send representations to the government and to their elected representatives, he added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News Update

Stories in this Section

Mayor irked with official reaction to development works

60 per cent polling in Dakshina Kannada

`MESCOM's demand has affected water supply schemes'

Alade Nagabrahmasthana annual puja from tomorrow

CSEZ: approval to KCCI extended

In Mangalore Today