Asphalt interior roads in City, demands opposition

Even people find it difficult to walk: Congress

The opposition members in the Council urged the Mayor to take measures to asphalt interior roads, which are in deplorable condition, at the Mangalore City Corporation monthly meeting here on Friday.

Leader of the opposition in MCC Lancelot Pinto said “the authorities must initiate measure to asphalt interior roads. Even pedestrians are not in a position to walk on the roads. The funds available under general fund, SFC grants have been used for concreting the main roads in the city. The interior roads continue to remain neglected. The SFC grant, 12th Finance Commission grant should be distributed equally among the 60 wards without favouring any Corporator.”

 Corporator Shashidhar Hegde said that they want integrated development of the city. “Development is not concreting the roads alone. We have just a few months left for monsoon. Hence, the work on the interior roads should  start at the earliest,” he said
While D K Ashok asked whether Kadri temple road would be asphalted before January 14, Deepak Poojary urged the authorities to blacklist all those contractors who fail to carry out the road work effectively.

When Chief Whip Sudheer Shetty said that funds have been released for the development of roads, the Opposition demanded a list of sanctioned work.

Premanand Shetty said that the proposal on developing interior roads are at different stages. “There is a need to take up the work on interior roads on priority basis. We will drop some of the civil work, which need to be taken up and concentrate on the development of interior roads.”

James D’Souza said that the contractors are not coming forward to take up the work on asphaltation of roads as the Schedule of Rates (SR) prescribed for a road is much low when compared to the increase in the price of raw materials.

Men in Black

All the opposition members were seen wearing black dress, as a mark of resentment against the failure of the City Corporation to in repairing the interior roads.

Streetlights

Shanker Bhat said that one should not go for single package system for the maintenance of streetlights. The single package system leads to monopoly of the contractor. There is a need for four or six package system.

Nagendra said that Jeppinamogaru ward is not receiving drinking water for the last four days. The Assistant Executive Engineer said that pipe has broken at Jeppinamogaru which will be set right by Friday evening.

The meeting also discussed on solid waste management. The opposition leaders raised the issue of Indian Audit and Account Department’s report on misappropriation of funds in the MCC. MCC Commissioner Dr Harish Kumar and Deputy Mayor Geetha Nayak were present.

Commoner in meeting hall

Former Mayor Ganesh Hosabettu said that a person named Manjunath had been applying to the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) for licence to construct a house after getting single site approval from the Mangalore Urban Development Authority. However, as the authorities failed to issue a licence, he had come to the meeting hall during the tea break with a poison bottle to end his life. “Why there has been delay in the issue of licence?” he asked and sought answer from the Town Planning Officer. When Town Planning Officer said that he will look into the matter, Corporator James D’Souza asked how a public was allowed to enter the meeting hall. It was clear negligence of the officials, he said.

The opposition member said that they have been raising the issue of failure to get licence in the MCC for the last several months. However, the MCC has failed to initiate any action. As Chief Whip began reading the agenda, the discussion ended abruptly.