JOIN USAfter a heated discussion for over three hours, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) on Thursday, resolved to keep the decision on implementation of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (Amrut) project in the city, pending.
During a special meeting, convened at Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar council hall, here, corporators, irrespective of party, exhorted Mayor B L Bhyrappa to delay the decision, till Commissioner (of MCC) C G Betsurmath answered various queries raised over the project. As the commissioner was absent, due to his prior engagement in Bengaluru, the mayor postponed the meeting, the date of which will be announced later.
Earlier, the council witnessed heated debate with corporators, cutting across party lines, presenting varied views on the pros and cons of Amrut. A majority of them termed it as another JUSCO (Jamshedpur Utilities and Supplies Company) in the making, that failed to keep its promise on providing round-the-clock water to the city.
Opposition leader J S Jagadish sought to know the veracity behind placing the subject before the council in the year end.
BJP Corporator H S Nandeesh Preetham wanted the authorities to plug the leakages in the existing water supply network, before taking up works under Amrut. He explained that the age-old water pumping stations at Melapura, Belagola and Hongalli needed to be repaired. “Due to leakages, we are getting only 65 million litres per day (MLD) of water against 125 MLD,” he said.
Similar was the appeal of Congress Corporator K C Showkath Pasha, who emphasised on taking corrective measures to augment the existing water supply network. “The delay in taking up repair works is adding to civic woes, with most parts of my ward getting water only on alternate days,” he said.
R Balasubramanya (Snake Shyam) from BJP said, “It was untimely to take up Amrut project as the existing water sources are weak. “In the backdrop of the bad experience with the JUSCO, it would be better to take up the project on our own, instead of entrusting it to Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWSDB).”
Nominated Corporator P Devaraj warned against the financial burden that may land the MCC in trouble.
DH News Service