Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS)
 
Mangalore, Mar 5: The district Congress leaders on Monday March 5 strongly condemned Mangalore North MLA and former state minister Krishna J Palemar for allegedly misusing his powers in overlooking the policies of Mangalore Urban Development Authority (MUDA)

At a protest held in front of the MUDA office here at Ashoknagar, Urwa Store, the district Congress leaders claimed that Palemar has appealed to the MUDA chairman to withhold the proposal of widening the road in Padavu to favour Vikas Education Trust. The road widening proposal was recommended in Master Plan II.

Addressing the protestors, former MLA Vijaykumar Shetty said that at the aforesaid area, there are connectivity roads both to the west and the east. In both the roads there were proposals for widening the roads to 24 meters under Master Plan II. However, the eastern road (passing through KPT, Kavoor junction) has been already widened to 24 meters and concretized, but the roads to the west (passing through Maryhill, Padavinangadi, to reach KPT), though there exists proposal for widening the roads to 24 meters, the road has not been widened yet.

They further said that petitioner MLA Krishna J Palemar requested the MUDA chairman not to widen the west road to 24 meters, but to 12 meters. Interestingly, in one of the leading Kannada newspapers dated February 24, MUDA chairman announced the cancellation of widening of the road, thus inviting objections from the public. Vijaykumar Shetty said that this move of MUDA is unfortunate as there was no opposition to widening the roads by the locals, but due to political pressure of the MLA, MUDA is planning to cancel the proposed widening work of the road.
 
Former mayor Shashidhar Hegde said that due to the widening of the national highway, the Kulur church and the ancestral house of Jnanapeeta award winner Kota Shivaram Karanth were evacuated keeping development in view. But here the development factor has been neglected and MUDA is bowing down to political pressure, he said.
 
Opposition leader in MCC Lancelot Pinto said that many decisions are finalized in the MUDA meeting and sent to Bangalore, but builders using their power change the plans, he alleged.
 
The protestors submitted a memorandum to MUDA commissioner, addressed to the governor.
 
Congress leaders Suresh Ballal, Ashraf, T K Sudhir, Denis D’Silva among others were present.