Pics: Maricel Fernandes
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (TP)
Udupi, May 27: The general body meeting of the Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC), held at Sathyamoorthy Auditorium on May 27, turned stormy as councillors voiced anger over civic issues following recent rains. Several accused officials of negligence, while MLA Yashpal Suvarna squarely blamed their irresponsibility for artificial flooding in parts of the city.
A ruling party councillor criticised the Udupi district in-charge minister for failing to support women’s issues and for not visiting the district, also blaming the Shakti Yojana for irregular power supply. This triggered a heated exchange, with opposition members strongly objecting. Opposition councillor Ramesh Kanchan countered that the guarantee schemes are optional, and individuals can choose not to avail them.
MLA Yashpal Suvarna responded, saying, “When should the in-charge minister come? We will question the minister during the KDP meeting on the responsibilities he should be handling.”
Councillor Vijay Kodavoor raised the issue of public criticism of elected representatives. “We’ve repeatedly reminded officials to prepare for the monsoon. The rains were only 10 days early — why wasn’t the tender for drainage cleaning and monsoon work passed in time? If no civil works are happening, what’s the point of calling tenders?” he asked.
Another councillor highlighted drainage blockages in Kunjibettu ward. “We submitted a letter to the CMC through the public, but no action has been taken,” he said.
Councillor Amrutha Krishna Moorthi recalled an incident during heavy midnight rain when a tree fell on electric poles. “There was no one to contact, and no civil workers responded during late hours,” she said.
Councillor Ramesh Kanchan remarked, “Even after a meeting by the president and MLA with officials, no action was taken. Is this irresponsibility or are officials simply ignoring your orders?”
MLA Yashpal Suvarna said a directive had been issued to clear hazardous trees, but many were left untouched as they were on private land. Expressing concern over shrinking drainage space, he said, “What should be a 10-foot drain has been reduced to just 3 feet.” He alleged that several buildings in Manipal have encroached on drainage lines and turned them into parking areas, calling it a clear failure of official oversight.
Officials explained that desilting of major drains is scheduled only once every two years. “This year’s work, worth Rs 50 lac, was tendered in the first week of April. Work began on April 28 and is still only 20% complete due to early rains.” However, councillor Vijay Kodavoor argued that it was now too late to carry out effective sludge removal.
Officials also raised concerns over irregular attendance of civil workers, with only 40 of 100 reporting for duty. Frequent rotation of supervisors every three months was cited as another issue. “When trees fall at night, no workers show up,” they added.
Councillor Balakrishna Shetty raised the issue of illegal constructions on government land in Nittoor. “Why were permissions granted if the land belonged to the National Highway Authority?” he asked. The CMC president directed officials to demolish the illegal structures within two days. Construction without proper permits in Bannanje ward was also flagged.
Contamination of drinking water from the Udupi Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) was discussed. With untreated water flowing into the Indrani River, MLA Suvarna assured that free drinking water would be provided to affected households. Officials said the STP is awaiting technical evaluation.
Ramesh Kanchan drew attention to the dilapidated condition of the Malpe–Adi Udupi road. MLA Yashpal Suvarna responded that the work is in progress and will continue smoothly up to Kalmady. He said delays were due to land encroachments and assured that MP Kota Srinivas Poojary is monitoring the project regularly. He appealed to residents and commuters to cooperate.
On the issue of closed drainage systems, MLA Suvarna said, “Some apartments discharge wastewater into public drains, which leads to problems. In such cases, residents themselves block drains to protect their own areas.”
Councillors alleged that roads dug up by Varahi project officials were left unrepaired, causing daily inconvenience in areas like Perampalli. Jal Jeevan Mission officials cited challenges in disposing of backwashed water, as local farmers opposed it.
Street lighting was another concern, with around 30% of lights reportedly not working. Councillors demanded inspections be conducted at least once every 15 days.
Councillor Girish pointed out that Paryaya is scheduled for January 2026. “Despite assurances of Rs 10 crore last time, no funds were released. This time, we expect real support,” he said.
On the issue of e-khathe, it was revealed that out of 578 B-khathe applications, 61% e-khathes have been issued. The commissioner attributed the backlog to a shortage of staff.
The city currently has 87 telecom towers, and 67 more are proposed by private companies, generating Rs 10 lac in annual revenue.
A councillor questioned the proposal for a new bus stand in Malpe, arguing that the existing one should be repaired instead.
The issue of leakage in the service bus stand was also raised. An official confirmed that a tender has been passed for its repair. The city bus stand was handed over to a private advertising company in 2016 for maintenance.
The meeting was attended by CMC president Prabhakar Poojary, vice president Rajani Hebbar, commissioner J Mahes, CMC officials, councillors, and nominated members.