Mangaluru: Continuing their attack on Mangaluru South MLA and Congress Candidate J R Lobo, the corporators of the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) Sudhir Shetty and Jayanthi Achar questioned whether J R Lobo is an MLA or a corporator. If he is an MLA, then why are projects undertaken with the Corporators’ Reserve Fund and MCC General Fund being highlighted and distributed to the people of the wards as projects undertaken by the MLA?
Addressing a press conference at the Mangaluru South Election office here on May 9, Sudhir displayed a copy of the Congress party’s booklets containing 172 projects which were completed in the last 5 years in the Kannur ward no 52 of the MCC. “Except for Rs 20 Lakh sanctioned by J R Lobo, I have tried my best to utilise the funds from the Corporators’ Reserve Fund and MCC General Fund for the development of my ward, which came up to Rs 6 Crore. I have taken utmost interest to develop my ward and I am ready to swear on the Bhagawadgita that I have managed to get these projects done with my own followup and interest and not with the support of the MLA. I am ready to retire from politics if I am wrong. Similarly, if the MLA wants to object to my statement, let him swear on the Bible or retire from politics”, he challenged.
“It hurts when other people take credit for the efforts and work undertaken after they didn’t even support. Even party politics was played in my ward as UGD and water projects were not sanctioned. I condemn these cheap publicity tactics”, he said.
Jayanthi Achar also lamented J R Lobo projecting her MCC projects as undertaken by him in the flyer distributed in her area, ward no 28. She claimed that there was no cooperation from the MLA when approached for any projects and now she is surprised to see that the projects are highlighted in his publicity material. “It is misleading the public”, she added.
Roopa D Bangera, who was present at the press meet, said that the first book released by Lobo about his achievements had 572 projects shown as undertaken by him. But, after the BJP objected to certain projects shown in this booklet, the number has come down to 310. “If we go more in detail to find out the flaws, the number might decline more. Lobo has not done any development to show and hence he has indulged in such acts,” she opined.
