Bantwal: The general meeting of the Bantwal town council, chaired by council president Vasu Poojary on Monday, turned stormy with members raising multiple concerns ranging from infrastructure neglect to irregularities in projects and waste management.
Council members question transparency
Senior council member A Govinda Prabhu accused officials of withholding legal records when queries were raised by elected representatives. “Is there no respect for council members? Are we sitting here without work?” he asked, further alleging that the council was applying one law in two different ways, which he described as unfair.
Other members echoed his concerns, insisting that administrative transparency and accountability must be upheld in all council dealings.
Panemangalore bridge needs urgent attention
Council member Siddiq Guddeyangadi demanded immediate action regarding the old Panemangalore bridge, a British-era iron structure. He pointed out that though a capacity test was conducted recently, no follow-up action or maintenance had taken place.
“Not even basic cleaning around the bridge has been done,” he said, stressing that the bridge’s deteriorating condition required urgent repairs and more consistent attention from the municipality.
Salary payment to driver sparks row
BJP members strongly objected to the payment of Rs 94,614 in salary to a driver for the period between February and June. They argued that the appointment had been made illegally, since eight officially designated drivers were already employed for the solid waste disposal vehicles.
“How was another driver appointed without authorisation, and why was he paid?” members questioned, demanding that their objections be formally recorded.
Complaints over AMRUT pipeline project
The council also witnessed heated discussion over the AMRUT pipeline project. Members alleged that irregularities in water supply were causing widespread dissatisfaction among residents.
“Households are billed thousands of rupees after Aadhaar details are collected, yet those who pay do not get drinking water, while those who do not pay receive it. People are even threatened with legal action for non-payment,” they claimed.
In response, council president Vasu Poojary directed that a complaint be lodged with the Lokayukta. “Despite spending crores of rupees, the project has failed to provide continuous water supply to residents. Let the irregularities in the drinking water scheme be exposed,” he said.
Waste disposal unit misused
Members also raised concerns that garbage from surrounding gram panchayats was being dumped at the Kanchinadkka solid waste disposal unit. The unit was originally built exclusively for Bantwal town’s waste, and members demanded to know why outsiders were being permitted to use the facility.
They stressed that this practice was overburdening the system and must be stopped immediately.
Public toilet facilities remain unused
Another issue discussed was the lack of public access to sanitation facilities. Members urged that the pink toilet facility in front of the Bisiroad administration building be opened for public use at a nominal fee. Similarly, they pressed for the immediate opening of the public toilet built at Panemangalore market, warning that they would open it themselves if the council failed to act.
Conclusion
The Bantwal town council meeting highlighted several pressing civic concerns, from neglected infrastructure and irregularities in water supply projects to misuse of waste facilities and unutilised public toilets. With calls for a Lokayukta probe and urgent repairs, the council faces growing pressure to ensure transparency, accountability, and timely action to address the needs of residents.