Pics: Joshwa D'Souza
Daijworld Media Network - Mangaluru (JD)

Mangaluru, Jan 11: "A drive has to be arranged along with the tahshildar and the officials concerned of the Mangaluru City Corporation to clear off all the illegal settlements over water pipelines and criminal cases must be booked against the offenders," said A B Ibrahim, deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada. 

The DC was addressing the MCC officials in the meeting presided over by urban development minister Vinay Kumar Sorake to sort out the various issues of the corporation at the DC's office here on Monday January 11.

During the discussion on the water supply to the city from the Thumbay dam, the officials of the MCC said that notice has been served to the people who have constructed roads over the main pipeline in the Bantwal constituency. The DC who had ordered to file criminal cases against the encroachers got furious and questioned the officials: "People have no fear of the Mangaluru City Corporation. Just sending a notice to the encroacher without taking any action sends a wrong message. Why hesitate to file cases on the encroacher when the land belongs to the MCC? No need to send further notices. Within January 31, a drive has to be conducted to clear all the encroachments."

As per the DC's orders, the MCC officials agreed to conduct the drive.

The opposition leader of MCC Sudhir Shetty Kannur used the opportunity to raise the issue of illegal water connections from the main pipeline by various gram panchayats.

"Various gram panchayats have taken connections from the main pipeline and do not pay even a paise to the MCC. The MCC officlas have not taken any action against this in spite of being aware of the fact. Another pipeline has been handed over to the zilla panchayat but the MCC is bearing maintenance expenses," he claimed.

Angered by this revelation, minister Sorake questioned the MCC officials, but they failed to give any satisfactory answer. He then instructed the officials to take necessary action in the matter.

MLA of Mangaluru south constituency J R Lobo, MLC Ivan D'Souza, mangaing director of Water Supply and Drainage Board Manivennan, assistant commissioner of MCC Gokuldas Nayak, MUDA chairman Kodijal Ibrahim, chief secretary of the urban development department Anil Kumar were present.