’Dhana Patra’ lands to be demolished for roads : Mayor

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, June 30,2017: At the council meeting on june 29, Thursday,a directed officials to demolish compound walls/buildings built by encroaching upon lands that have been surrendered by owners through ’dana patra’ for development of roads in the city. The officials have been directed to take action within 10 days.

Corporator Sudheer Shetty raised the issue and said that, "Once the land is surrendered through ’dana patra’, it then becomes MCC’s property. The land owner has no role on the said land. Such encroachments should be cleared immediately."  When members said that raja kaluve in Mangaluru city has been encroached upon, the Mayor directed officials to clear it.

Council Opposition leader Ganesh Hosabettu said that the pumpsets in wet wells of Surathkal are defunct and panel boards in the STP is in a pathetic condition and has not been set right even after a month.

To this, MLA Mohiyuddin Bava accused the BJP of implementing poor works under ADB-funded programme. The wet wells and manholes have collapsed in Surathkal and have polluted a few water bodies in the region. To set right the problem, a tender for Rs 55 crore has been invited under AMRUT scheme, he said.

Enraged over the MLA’s charges, the BJP corporators demanded to know why the STP in Surathkal was inaugurated in a hurry. The BJP corporators also said that there was massive corruption in implementing the works under phase 1 of ADB-funded programme in the city and the complaint should be submitted to Lokayukta. At one juncture, the BJP members also entered the well of the house objecting to the MLA’s charges.

Executive Engineer Ganeshan R said that complete details on the status of wet wells and STP in Surathkal would be submitted to the Mayor by Monday.

Corporator Appi said that apartment owners in the city are connecting rain water to the city’s underground drainage (UGD) network rather than letting it out into open drains.

She said that few large residential and commercial complexes in wards are pumping water in the basement of their buildings and letting it directly into UGD manholes.

"This is causing manholes to overflow and sewage mixed water is entering many houses in low-lying areas in Jeppu Bappal," she said.

Illegal buildings : Corporator A C Vinayraj demanded action against unauthorised buildings. He said authorities must ensure that high-rise buildings abide by the building by-laws and throw open parking spaces for vehicles and not use it for commercial purpose. The members, cutting across party lines, demanded a ruling from the Mayor to demolish such structures. The Mayor said that if all the corporators support without exerting any pressure, then illegal structures can be demolished.

"If there was any misuse of parking area, then authorities will take action," MCC Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer said. When asked about massage parlours and skill games functioning illegally in Mangaluru, the Mayor said that all the licenses issued for massage parlours and skill games have been cancelled.

The Council of the city corporation have approval for naming Vanithavana in Hathill as Indira Priyadarshini Udyanavana, he said.

Information booklet  : An information booklet on various services offered by the Mangaluru City Corporation was released by the Mayor on June 29, Thursday.

Though the information booklet had the photograph of corporators, it had missed the photo of BJP corporator Hemalatha Salian, an objection to which was raised by Opposition members. The Opposition members gave back the booklet to the Mayor.

Later, the Mayor said that only a few booklets were printed. When it would be printed for general public within two days, all the mistakes will be rectified, the Mayor said.
MCC panel chiefs fume over being kept in the dark :
The ruling Congress was a divided house in the council of Mangaluru City Corporation June 29, thursday.

The dissatisfaction, which appeared while selecting the mayoral candidate a few months ago, was seen becoming deeper again in the council meeting.

A member raised the issue of action plan under 7.25% fund earmarked for the welfare of poor not being placed before the council for approval with Nagaveni, the chairperson of Standing Committee on Public Health, Education and Social Justice. Mayor Kavitha Sanil interrupted to answer, which did not go down well with Nagaveni and Prathibha Kulai, chairperson of the Standing Committee on Taxation, Finance and Appeal.

Kulai raised an objection and demanded an answer from MCC Commissioner on whether Standing Committee chairpersons do not have any right to speak in Council meetings.

Supporting her, Nagaveni asked if she had to sit in the chair or not. She too demanded why the action plan under 24.1%, 7.5% and 3% fund was not placed before the council for approval.

Clarifying the issue, Sanil said that as the action plan was prepared using only SFC grant under these heads, she had asked the concerned official to include the action plan under MCC fund as well, before placing it for approval.