Karnataka - Madikeri   

CMC president, Commissioner face the ire of councillors

Madikeri: Councillors of the Congress criticised Madikeri City Municipal Council (CMC) president P.D. Ponnappa and Commissioner D.H. Raya on Tuesday, alleging that development works had come to a standstill in the city since the new council was formed four months ago.

Muneer Ahmad, independent councillor, stated that residents of a locality here recently gheraoed Vasanta Keshava, councillor of the ruling BJP, for not providing civic amenities. Ms. Keshava had said that the CMC president, who belonged the BJP, and the Commissioner were not extending cooperation to carry out development works in her Ward. This spoke of the helplessness of the ruling party, Mr. Ahmad said.

Abdul Razak of the Congress said works had come to a halt in the city and bills prepared for minor works were being held up in the Commissioner’s office.

Mr. Razak, T.M. Aiyappa, H.M. Nanda Kumar, all Congress councillors, and Mr. Ahmad alleged that certain works were being carried out in Indiranagar area, represented by Mr. Ponnappa, without getting approval of the full board.

Mr. Ponnappa should not play into the hands of the Commissioner with regard to initiating development works, he said.

When the issue of pending bills submitted by councillors for payment to contractors for carrying out works, less than Rs. 20,000 in each ward, came up, members were furious at Mr. Raya as his office had not cleared the bills.

A.C. Devaiah of the Congress charged that the official was deliberately holding up the bills. Mr. Ponnappa, being president of the CMC, should hold the reins instead of leaving it to officials, Mr. Devaiah said.

K.G. Harish of the Congress said how could health officials ensure cleanliness of the city when wild weeds had grown at the back of the Town Hall (CMC building).

To the surprise of the ruling party, K.S. Ramesh, BJP councillor, joined the Congress members in saying that development works had suffered in the city.

Mr. Ponnappa should convene a meeting of all 31 councillors and the Madikeri MLA to deliberate on speeding up the process of development, he said.

Mr. Ponnappa said that he would convene a meeting on December 3 to discuss the issues. The official of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board, replying to a question on the progress of the Kundamestri drinking water project to Madikeri city, said that works on it would begin in a couple of days.

Water from Kundamestri would be pumped to the Kootuhole reservoir to augment it under the project.

Mr. Raya said that door-to-door garbage collection through “tippers” had started again in a few localities and the drivers themselves would collect fees from households. Two stree shakti groups too were involved in the job.

Vice-president of the CMC Lata Bangera and president of the works committee Unnikrishnan were present.

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