The final general meeting of the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) under its current five-year term was marked by chaotic scenes and verbal confrontations between ruling and opposition members. The meeting, held on Thursday, became a battleground for accusations and political jabs, turning what was intended to be a routine session into a prolonged argument.
The proceedings began calmly with the rendition of the state anthem, followed by the ratification of the previous meeting’s minutes. However, it didn’t take long for tensions to rise when opposition leader Anil Kumar began his speech, accusing the BJP-led administration of failing to deliver during its five-year term. He criticized the underground drainage (UGD) projects, alleging that Rs 300 crore had been spent without resolving key issues. He also pointed to the unfinished Rs 797 crore 24×7 drinking water project under the Jal Jeevan Mission, questioning why no ward had received continuous water supply despite five years of efforts.
These remarks triggered a fierce response from ruling party members, including Shakeela Kava and Praveen Chandra Alva, who accused the opposition of politicizing the meeting. Ruling party members, including chief whip Premanand Shetty, countered by blaming the state Congress government for hindering development and failing to allocate necessary funds.
The verbal clashes escalated quickly, with both sides shouting over each other. Opposition members, led by Anil Kumar, demanded their right to speak uninterrupted, even approaching the mayor’s chair in protest. Despite repeated efforts by Mayor Manoj Kumar to restore order, the meeting was adjourned for a break. The session resumed after lunch, but the opposition continued to protest, accusing the ruling party of squashing dissent and avoiding accountability.
Despite the tumult, the council did manage to approve a few administrative decisions, including handing over the maintenance of the Gujjarkere lake to the Hale Kote Mariamma Temple administration and approving renaming proposals for several roads and junctions across the city.
Notably, the service road from Pumpwell Junction towards Ullal was renamed as Veerarani Abbakka Road, and the junction where roads from Bunts Hostel, Hampankatta, and Shivaram Karanth Road converge was named Dr B R Ambedkar Circle. Other road renaming proposals were also passed, along with the handover of maintenance for the Santosh Nagar central playground to the Veer Savarkar Friends Association.
Despite the earlier chaos, the meeting concluded with these resolutions being cleared, although the unresolved tensions from the heated exchanges lingered throughout the session.
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