Corporation council says no to Mulky Town Panchayat

Corporation council says no to Mulky Town Panchayat

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, November 30: The Council of Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) at its meeting on Monday, with Mayor Rajani Dugganna in the Chair, rejected a proposal of bringing Mulky Town Panchayat under its purview. The council, in a resolution, cited dearth of staff and funds as the reason.

K. Abhayachandra Jain, Moodbidri MLA, and J. Krishna Palemar, minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada district, had mooted the proposal to provide better infrastructure to the people of Mulky.

They had written to the Urban Development Minister to consider the proposal. The Secretary to the Department of Urban Development had sought the opinion of the corporation on the proposal. But the MCC, ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has taken a view contrary to Mr. Palemar.

An agenda note on the subject said that earlier the Government through a notification on October 16, 1995, had merged Mulky town panchayat areas with the corporation. But through another notification on March 10, 1997 it carved the town panchayat areas out of the corporation.

In his request, Mr. Jain had stated that the proposal to merge areas with the corporation was pending since 1998 because of opposition from the people.

The council postponed a decision on widening some roads in the city and sent a proposal on it to Mangalore Urban Development Authority for including it in the Master Plan for Mangalore Local Planning Area. The Master Plan is set to be revised for the second time. A draft of the proposal for widening some roads to nine metres, 12 metres, and 18 metres is ready with the corporation.

The council deferred a decision as councillors sought a debate on the issue.

K.N. Vijayaprakash, Commissioner of the corporation, said that a high-power committee of the Government was reviewing a proposal to revise the Master Plan which came into effect from October 1, 2009. The committee headed by the former Chief Secretary A. Ravindra held a meeting to this effect. The corporation has brought to the notice of the committee eight subjects which needed to be revised.

Roads

The Commissioner said that the corporation has invited bids to fill potholes on major roads at an estimated cost of Rs. 70 lakh.

It was now preparing an estimation to fill potholes on 22 interior roads. He said that the corporation has planned to allocate Rs. 55 lakh to each ward for asphalting.

The Opposition and independent councillors said that provisions in the Master Plan had affected common people as many were not able to build houses.

Mariyamma Thomas, an independent councillor, said the corporation should prevail upon the Government to make provisions of the Master Plan applicable only after December 1, 2010 . thehindu