Mangaluru: The discussions on ‘smart city’ project rocked the Mangalore City Corporation general body meeting held on Saturday, September 29.
The BJP members insisted Mayor Bhaskar Moily and the Municipal Commissioner to take an opinion of the corporators before going ahead with any of the works under smart city project.
MCC opposition leader Premananda Shetty and corporator Sudheer Shetty Kannur said that the BJP members were being sidelined while crucial decisions on projects are taken under the Smart City project. Noticing that a lot of time was being consumed by the ‘Smart City’ project discussion, which has been gradually derailing into political blame-game, former mayor Kavita Sanil said that since many important issues in the agenda awaited discussion.
Meanwhile, MLC Ivan D’Souza ensorsed the view of Sanil and said that since there is a separate committee to discuss and finalise the developmental works planned under smart city project, there is no meaning in discussing it in the general meeting of the MCC.
Improper distribution of funds
BJP corporators took the Mayor to task alleging improper distribution of funds under 14th Finance Commission. Premananda Shetty said that some of the completed projects too have been listed under the 14th Finance Commission and there has been disparity while disbursing funds under the same.”The 60 wards of the MCC must be developed equally. Why is their discrimination while disbursing grants,” he questioned.
Responding to it, MCC town planning standing committee president Praveenchandra Alva claimed that more money was released to those wards which come under rural area and less funds were earmarked to the wards which are located in the city area. The reason behind this is, city wards are already going to get projects under smart city and hence more attention must be paid to rural wards.
Meanwhile, Mayor Bhaskar Moily also informed that fund was released only after conducting spot visit. “If any ward requires more money for any urgent work, we will look into it in the next coming days,” he said.
Corporator Roopa D Bangera raised the issue of less water in Thumbay vented dam, the only drinking water source of Mangaluru city. “The MCC should conduct a study by an expert team to find out the reason for less water in the dam,” she stressed. When Premananda Shetty highlighted the building violations in the city, the officials of town planning department informed that notices have been already issued to some owners of the building.
