Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Oct 27: At its general session held here on Wednesday October 26, the city corporation here decided against hiking water rates in the city, although the state government had issued a circular, instructing the local administrations in urban areas city corporations to increase water charges in an effort to improve their financial management.

A number of corporators, both belonging to the ruling and opposition parties, felt that the state government was not in order in applying the same yardstick for all the regions of the state as regards water rate. They expressed the opinion that imposing decisions from above without taking the local people’s representatives into confidence, is not advisable.

Whip, Sudhir Shetty, pointed out that the city gets water from just 18 km away unlike other city corporations which get water supply from far off places,  because of which, cost of water management is high there. He said that the principles that are applicable in respect of other city corporations in the state do not hold good in the case of Mangalore, duly adding that the decision taken by the corporators would be conveyed to the government.

After taking the sentiments and opinions expressed by different corporators, the meeting passed a resolution, opposing the decision of the state government.

City mayor, Pravin Anchan, deputy mayor, Geeta Nayak, commissioner, K Harish Kumar, and others were present.