KPCC Secretary Ivan D’Souza has urged the State government to earmark funds for major projects in Dakshina Kannada in the supplement budget.
Addressing a press meet here on Tuesday, he said though Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda had promised of making the roads pothole-free in Dakshina Kannada district, the budget presented by him did not earmark any funds for the development of roads in Dakshina Kannada. The budget has failed to heed to the demands of the district like sanctioning of Government Medical College, engineering college, PG centre in Udupi, Agriculture Research Centre in Udupi, funds for acquiring land for the extension of Mangalore airport.
“Assembly Deputy Speaker N Yogish Bhat was making promises of sky bus facility, monorail, Mangala corniche road, ropeway bridge to Kasaba Bengre. However, the budget did not mention of it. The budget was disappointing and the BJP MLAs from the district have failed to get big projects to the district,” he said and added that the internal fight within the BJP has hampered the development of coastal district.
He said though Chief Minister had announced separate budget for the youth during National Youth Festival, the budget has earmarked only Rs 20 crore for youth. With such a meagre amount, how can the government help youth, he asked.
No progress
Stating that the work on new vented dam has not seen any progress in the last four years, D’Souza said though the government had promised Rs 40 crore for the dam, in reality the government has released only Rs 8 crore so far. The estimated cost of the new vented dam has been escalated to Rs 79.5 crore from the original Rs 40 crore.
On the one hand, the BJP rule in the MCC has failed to make arrangement for storing water in Thumbe to supply water to the City. On the ther hand, the budget has announced 24X7 water supply on PPP mode. Without storing capacity, how will you supply water to the citizens, he asked.
Owing to the mistake committed by the BJP, Congress corporator Gulzar Banu was elected as the Mayor. It is the duty of the BJP corporators to support her in the development of city.