CM to inaugurate development works

District In-charge Minister Pramod Madhwaraj said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will visit the district on Monday and take part in inauguration and foundation stone laying ceremonies for the proposed development programmes.

Speaking to media persons, he said that the chief minister will be inaugurate works worth Rs 581 crore in Udupi assembly constituency. "The chief minister had promised the public of Udupi to offer 24 hours power supply and also water. He has already fullfiled the assurance he made in terms of power supply. The public in the assembly constituency are being supplied uninterrupted power," he said.

Madhwaraj said the government wants to extend Varahi canals towards Udupi and Rs 270 crore has been earmarked for the purpose to look into providing water all round the year.

The proposed project of constructing the reservoir at Shimbra is being dropped following the report by the hydrolic experts, which was negative in terms of feasibility. Eight overhead tanks will also be ensured and the failures in the distribution canal will be rectified as there are a number of connections. The tender will be called for the purpose at the earliest, he explained.

The minister said the chief minister will also lay foundation stone for the new KSRTC bus stand which is being built at a cost of Rs 31 crore in Bannanje on an area of is three-and-a-half acres.

He said besides allotting
Rs 49 crore for the third stage of Malpe harbour, Rs 75 lakh is being allotted to the cricket ground which is coming up in Brahmavar Gandhi Maidan on five-and-a-half acres of land.

He said the chief minister will be laying foundation stone for Rs 600 crore worth development works in Byndoor and another Rs six crore worth development works in Kaup.

Projects not technically approved: Bhat

Former MLA Raghupathy Bhat charged that the chief minister, during his tour in the district, is into the inauguration of many projects which have not been approved technically.

Speaking to media persons, he alleged that the projects are solely conceptualised by Congress government. The most disheartening fact is that the bureaucracy in the district is being controlled by the Congress government. Most of the projects are pending for technical bid, only after which financial bid is opened. The inaugural and foundation stone laying ceremonies are being carried out hastily, he
charged.

Bhat charged that a major blunder is the assured Varahi project, which is not viable. The project is being designed at a cost of Rs 260 crore. The detailed project report has not been prepared and the proposed project is a herculean task, he said.

The project comprises a pipeline which passes through Haladi to Baje and the pathway is full of curves and the project will prove costly. A separate corridor should be marked and land acquisition should be made. The impossible task is being made to believe viable to public, he charged.

He also ridiculed that the Malpe III stage work, which was completed in 2013, is being inaugurated in 2018 as a new project, which seems to be hilarious.