Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, May 8: Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (DSS) district spokesperson, Jayan Malpe, accused local municipal commissioner of providing wrong information to the Dalit community as well as the general public with the tacit purpose of covering up corrupt practice of the municipality. He also demanded immediate suspension of the officer for this wrongdoing.

He noted that the municipal commissioner had said that those who hung flex banner paying homage to the municipality, grieving over its demise, had done so by wrongly being under the impression that residential complex construction has been permitted in the midst of Dalit colony at Nergi area of Vadabhandeshwar ward here. "Does the commissioner, who claims that no permission or licence have been granted to this residential complex, have any sense?" he questioned angrily.

Jayan said that the municipal commissioner had earlier written to a local, K Gopalakrishna Achar, to remit development fee of Rs 18,663, licence fee of Rs 20,750 and labour fee of Rs 1,12,500 towards the construction of the said complex. He wondered whether the municipal commissioner is suffering from amnesia. He challenged the commissioner to prove his efficiency by taking legal action against Achar, who he said, is constructing the said complex illegally without licence, and in the process, choking the drain of the municipality.

He said that giving permission for construction of residential complex in the midst of Dalit colony is illegal, and a crime under Atrocities on Scheduled Castes and Tribes Act. He asked municipal commissioner to stop supporting some councillors of the municipality who are driven by the greed to get bribes, and to discharge his constitutional duties properly.

He also asked the municipal commissioner to prove his claim to transparency in administration by providing all the documents sought in an application filed by the former under Right to Information Act immediately, if the officer has morals.