Pandemonium mars council meeting

Civic body convenes to adjourn twice:

High drama was witnessed at the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) here on Friday, when the council meeting convened only to be deferred for a while after 40 minutes.

Though the council resumed after 20 minutes, it was deferred again, with the Mayor Sandesh Swamy rescheduling the meeting for November 30.

Earlier, as soon as the council convened, Congress Corporator R Somasundar raised the issue of works under 22.75 Programme for SC/ ST not taken up since eight months putting the councillors belonging to the particular communities into a fix. Despite repeated pleas by the Mayor Sandesh Swamy, Somasundar remained unmoved.

Moreover, what had annoyed Somasundar was inspite of an assurance from the Mayor to initiate measures when the similar issue was raised first during the previous council, the woe has remained unaddressed.

Somasundar who got support in his party councillors J Purushothama, R Shivanna, Kamala J Venkatesh, Rajeshwari, Mahadevamma, R Raveendra Kumar trooped into the well of the house. Pat ensued a wordy duel between the Mayor and the Corporators, but the latter returned to their seats after a short time. It was momentary, as Janata Dal (Secular) Councillor R Lingappa stirred the hornet’s nest saying ‘the councillors behaviour say the local body is against SC/ ST’.
Enraged over this Congress’ P Devaraj rushed towards Mayor’s podium and sat in protest shouting at the fellow Corporators to join him. BJP that was till now making its voice heard now and then over Mayor doing nothing to redress the issue, staged a walk out under the leadership of Opposition Leader in the Council Nandeesh Preetham only not to return. Following the ruckus, Mayor announced to defer the meeting awhile and also walked out of the hall in a jiffy. The time was 3.40 pm.

However, when the council resumed at 4 pm, the issue returned to haunt the Mayor who sought an explanation from MCC Deputy Commissioner K N Dharmappa. Though the officer came out with a reply, he could not assuage the feelings of seething corporators.

MCC Commissioner K S Rayker reiterated that the programmes under 22.75 is delayed owing to the new set of procedures that make it mandatory to go for e-procurement (electronic tendering). The corporation had planned the works under the same programme and had invited general tenders. When the matter came to the notice of the chief secretary, he warned against going ahead with the tender as it amounts to punishment leading to imprisonment of the officer concerned.

According to the new rule works estimated at ` 10 lakh and above have to be awarded through e-procurement. The works under the said programme are planned at ` 12 crore, of which 20 per cent are civil works making it a fit case for e-tendering, Rayker said.
Not willing to give up, the corporators continued to fire a volley of queries, forcing the Mayor to announce that they would take up maximum works before March next.

Finally, the Mayor announced to reserve the discussion on the agenda of the council meeting scheduled on Friday to November 30. The Mayor said it would be unwise to debate on the agenda-rebuilding of Vani Vilas and Mandi Markets, and also Devaraja Market retaining its heritage look- in the absence of BJP corporators.