Stalling Smart City work in M'luru BJP's failure: Opposition leaders

Members of the District Congress Committee (DCC) staged a protest in front of the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) building on Tuesday, blaming the MCC for failing to follow the High Court’s stay on works implemented under the Smart City Mission.

Owing to the MCC’s inefficiency and failure of the BJP-led government, the High Court had ordered suspending all the ongoing works initiated under Smart City Mission in Mangaluru, MLA U T Khader charged.

"Now, all the ongoing work has been stopped on High Court directions, causing inconvenience to the citizens," he said.

"The government has failed to convince the court and resume ongoing work. Authorities have also failed to dispose of the construction debris scientifically and no steps were taken for the scientific disposal of construction debris," Khader added.

He urged Mangaluru Smart City Ltd to clear the legal hurdles and start work immediately.

"The voters elected BJP to power in the Council for better administration. The government had earmarked Rs 125 crore for the MCC in 2019-2020 budget, but BJP-government has not released it so far. MLAs and BJP corporators are also questioning the government,: Khader alleged.

MLC and District Congress Committee President K Harish Kumar said that Congress MLAs, corporators and Mayors in the past were instrumental in initiating development work in the city. "The BJP administration has even failed to implement solid waste management effectively in the city," he said.

Former MLA J R Lobo alleged that funds under Smart City Mission were misused. “People should raise their voice,” he stressed.

Opposition leader in the Council of MCC Abdul Ravoof said that the works were implemented without consulting the public.