Mangalore: The Congress party has attacked incumbent MP Nalin Kumar Kateel calling him a ‘non-performing leader’ who failed to usher in any kind of development for the region in his two terms.
Addressing press conference on Thursday, District Congress Committee Spokesperson, AC Vinayaraj said that despite the region being bestowed by all the four modes of transport-air, sea, rail and road, the region has not witnessed any sort of development.
He said that even as the Surathkal-Talapady four-lane highway project is suffering, illegal toll gates are functioning swiftly. The flyover construction in Thokkottu and Pumpwell have been languishing and the MP is avoiding the people of the region.
“Nalin is hiding his inability in completing the highway works by blaming Congress leaders JR Lobo and UT Khader. If people of Mangalore or the local officers were not supporting the highway work he should have discussed the matter in the earlier public meetings held, he said.
He said that the Mangaluru – Talapady, Suratkal-Kundapura – Goa border four-lane highway construction comes under the Build Operate Transfer policy of National Highway Development program. The project was proposed in 2008 and had to be completed by 2016, but the project is not completed even as on April 2019, he pointed.
The BJP is winning elections in Dakshina Kannada district for the last 28 years by cashing in on people’s sentiments, but the BJP MPs are only wasting time asking what the Congress Government has done in the past 70 years and are silent over their own achievements in 28 years, he opined adding that when Congress leaders were representing Dakshina Kannada District in the Parliament, they have established the Port, Airport, Railway station and educational institutions like NITK.
“The BJP parliamentarians have failed in developing their constituency. They have not started any project in the district which has generated jobs. Instead, they privatised the management of the airport and the port,” he said adding that the coastal resources too are being looted to fill the pockets of Ambani and Adani from Gujarat.
He sought support for Mithun Rai and said that Rai is a graduate and has received best student award in college. He can speak English, Hindi and Kannada and also has a lot of concern about the people and culture of Tulunad and has a secular mindset.
