Congress protest against minister Ramdas

Blames district administration for failure of JnNurm project in city

Members of the Congress party took out a protest rally and staged a demonstration in front of Command Area Development Authority (CADA) here on Thursday to demand adequate water supply and cleanliness in the city.

The protestors, including women carrying empty pots and broomsticks, took out a procession from Doddakere maidan to CADA, where the office of district in-charge minister S A Ramdas’ office is situated, and shouted slogans against the BJP government and Ramdas.

Most of the agitators were residents of Shantinagar and Ghousianagar. Alleging that the BJP had failed in providing good government, Congress leaders said Ramdas was unnecessarily interfering in the affairs of Mysore city corporation — thus curtailing the powers of the civic body and its elected representatives.

The Congress-led UPA government at the Centre has granted crores of rupees for the development of the city under JnNurm projects, but the district administration has failed to make use of the funds.

The Centre is ready to offer funds to provide houses to 6,328 beneficiaries identified from slum areas in the city to make it hut-free, but the district administration has not taken any steps, the protestors alleged.

MP A H Vishwanath said the corporation has not been able to provide adequate drinking water to residents of Mysore due to the interference of Ramdas in the civic affairs. “The water supply system has collapsed with the delegation of the services to Jusco.

Corporation commissioner K S Raykar has been arrogant. The benefits being distributed by chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda on March 3 in Mysore are all actually Central government funded schemes. But the BJP government is projecting it to be its own programmes,” he added.

MLA Tanveer Sait ridiculed the BJP government saying that the leaders were busy with rave parties and watching pornographic films. The city corporation has been paying Rs 42 lakh to Jusco for maintenance. But the water problems continue.

Fifty thousand houses on revenue sites in the city are suffering due to lack of basic amenities. BJP activists are involved in real-estate business under the guise of providing houses for the poor, he added.

President of city Congress C Dasegowda, president of women’s wing Meena Thugudeepa, ex-MLA M K Somasekhar, ex-MLCs D Madegowda and Muktharunnisa Begum, ex-mayors Vasu, B K Prakash, Modamani and T B Chikkanna, ex-deputy mayors Siddaraju, Pushpalatha Jagannath, Pushpavalli, corporators Ananthu, Rathnamma Shanthaveerendraswamy, Rihana Banu, D Nagabushan, ex-corporator Shivanna, president of finance standing committee of the corporation Rajeshwari Puttaswamy, president of Sevadal Krishnamurthy, ex-president of taluk panchayat Manjula Manjunath and others participated in the protest.

Tanveer faints
Tanveer Sait fainted at the protest demonstration after addressing the agitators. It is learnt that he was tired due to high temperature. Congress activists provided him first aid and water. He recovered later.