Corporators protest against cut in ward development grants

Corporators belonging to Opposition parties in Mangaluru City Corporation staged a protest in front of the city corporation and charged that it has done injustice to corporators by providing only half of the amount of the ward development grants. 

Addressing protesters, Opposition leader Sudhir Shetty Kannur said only Rs 15 lakh is given to the corporators out of the budget of Rs 30 lakh. When asked, the officials say that there is a surplus budget, he said and charged that this is due to the maladministration of Congress and complete inefficiency of the mayor. The shortage of funds has affected the development activities, he claimed. 

The 14th Finance Commission grants of the Union government and the SFC grant of the State government have reached the city corporation during last June and the standing committee chairmen have obtained the proposals towards development works from the corporators in their respective wards. But, the proposals have not been included in the action plan by the administration, Sudhir said. 

He said that MLAs J R Lobo and B A Mohiyuddin Bava are interfering in the proposals made by the corporators. The act of the MLAs are unconstitutional. They are also batting for the deviation of the 13th finance commission funds to the payment of Antony Waste Company, which should not be done, he added.The Opposition parties will raise this issue in the next council meeting, he said and urged the mayor to step down for being unable to control the MCC administration, he said. 

Corporators Aziz Kudroli, Roopa D Bangera, Ganesh Hosabettu, Rajendra Kumar, Vijay Kumar Shetty, Gunakar Shetty, Diwakar, Rajesh, Poornima and Sumitra were present.