Digital water meters for industrial lines soon

Mayor Mahabala Marla has said the process of installing digital water meters for water supply pipelines to industries will be taken up shortly to prevent tampering of meters and to increase the revenue of MCC.

Briefing reporters, on Tuesday, he said MCC has purchased six digital water meters to be installed in six industries including UB Group and Ruchi Soya in Bykampady.

The amount of water consumed by the industries will be monitored online in the MCC office. The meters are ready for installation and this initiative would be a reality in a few days. Looking into the pros and cons of the digital meters, the council of the MCC will decide on the installation of similar meters in the apartments and commercial complexes.

The Mangalore City Corporation has 81,783 water connections and the target is to collect tax of Rs 36 crore. The MCC has collected Rs 21.54 crore so far in 2014-15.

On property tax, Marla said the target was to collect property tax of Rs 51.72 crore. By the end of February, a sum of Rs 30.01 crore has been collected.

The MCC has taken up an initiative to allow the citizens to pay the tax online by collecting details on the tax payer and tax amount paid so far. The online process of properties coming under Nirmal Nagar is in final stage.

A pilot project will be taken up in six wards to make an integrated study on property tax and trade licenses.
 
MCC computerisation
The mayor had proposed to computerise all sections of MCC. He had planned to complete the computerisation  process during his tenure in order to provide time-bound service to the citizens.

On the progress of the computerisation process, he said that Keonics  (Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd) had been entrusted with the task. The officials from Keonics had visited the MCC and conducted a preliminary study to know the requirements.

The Mayor said that toilets will be constructed at five bus shelters including Nanthoor, Mallikatte and Lalbagh. Five advertising agencies have been entrusted with the task of constructing toilets.

The ad agencies have been given the order and the work will commence shortly. Apart from these, e-toilets will be constructed at seven locations in the city. The target for 2014-15 was to collect revenue of Rs 2.15 crore from advertisements.

The MCC has already collected Rs two crore.  A draft of advertiseing policy is being prepared to increase the revenue generated from advertisements.

The draft will be finalised shortly. The new model of bus shelter and advertisements on dividers will be installed. A proposal has been prepared to construct a hi-tech bus shelters with commercial complexes, he added.

The Mangalore City Corporation’s proposal of having a dedicated software to assist in malaria management is in the final stage.

The night shelter at Bunder is ready for inauguration. The blue print for the construction of a private bus shelter at Pumpwell is ready. A DPR will be prepared to seek financial assistance from the State government, he added.

The mayor said “he has cent per cent satisfaction of discharging his duties efficiently in the last one-year duration. I have laid foundation for the implementation of all the promises made. The development works will be continued by the next mayor.”