Talking to reporters after inaugurating various development projects in Kannur ward on Sunday, he said that Kannur, one of the underdeveloped wards in the Corporation, would be developed in a phased manner.
He inaugurated an anganwadi centre, a health sub-centre, a public library building and the works of Ballurugudde road project.
Palemar said the health sub-centre of Kannur would be upgraded into a fulfledged primary health centre within a year.
Supporting the minister’s view, MLA N Yogish Bhat in his address said there are plans to allocate at least Rs 25 crore towards the development of the roads in the interior wards of the City Corporation when the State government releases another Rs 100 crore.
Additional grant
“The Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has agreed to grant the special amount to Mangalore City Corporation,” he informed. A sum of Rs 2 crore has already been spent on Kannur ward, which again requires another Rs 3 crore for different projects.”
“Priority will be given to the balanced growth of all 60 wards of Mangalore City Corporation,” he said.
Bhat said a private agency is planning a housing layout in a 300-acre plot of Kannur and it has come forward to provide infrastructure to a local school for providing better education facilities to the economically backward students.
It will allot about 7 acre land towards the purpose, he added.
He also appealed the locals of the ward to give more importance to sanitation.
The project to which foundation stone was laid include asphaltation for a stretch of 75 metres and construction of three culverts.
Mayor Rajani Dugganna, Town Planning and Development Standing Committee President Sudhir Shetty, Opposition leader in the Mangalore City Corporation Ashok D K , Taluk Panchayat member Khalid Yusuf, Child Development Programme officer Shobha Rani and others were present on the occasion.
Various members responsible for the development of Kannur ward were honoured on the occasion.
Unfulfilled dream
The locals of Kannur ward said a long-pending demand of the residents of Ballurugudde has not been realised yet.
Iqbal Ahmed and Abdul Rahiman, the residents of the area said around 1,200 members living in Ballurugudde are forced to travel about 12 km to reach the city since a road connecting Kannur and Ballurugudde has not been developed yet. If the road, divided by a railway track, is developed properly, the locals can reach Mangalore by travelling only 4 kms, they said. “It is a 35-year-old demand. The Kannur-Ballurugudde road works were stopped near the railway track about 20 years ago, and even today the situation has remained unchanged, they said, adding that none of the MLAs and MPs are listening to their woes.
