News and pics: Silvester D’Souza

Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Jul 1: The ordinary meeting of Kundapur taluk municipal council held on June 30 consisted of arguments, heated exchange of words, personal prestige and political mudslinging. What anybody said
could not be heard amidst noise and uproar.

“Drainage work worth Rs 48 crore is started at Kundapur. Concrete roads are being dug in an unscientific manner. The repaired road after digging also has collapsed. In these days of machines, work is being done manually. On the whole it is forgery work,” alleged municipal council vice president Rajesh Kaveri.

“UGD work is not going on as expected. Officials are not accessible. Digging of roads at some places has caused problems,” said Gunarathna, Vittal Kunder, Vijaya S Poojary and Shivarama Amin. Udaya Mendon said
that as it is the monsoons, the roads should be repaired soon. “UGD officials holding namesake meetings is not correct. The officials should have come for today’s meeting.” President Vasanthi Saranga said that UGD work is not proceeding properly. “The council will take it up seriously," she said.

Rajesh Kaveri said that concrete roads should be cut using 8-10 blades for laying pipes. “It is tragic that 4 inch blade is being used. There is no doubt that the roads will spoil with substandard work.”
Mohandas Shenoy said that problem is caused as the work has started in the monsoons. “The roads with interlocks are spoilt. It cannot be said at this juncture that the work is substandard,” he said.

Close potholes urgently: “Most of the roads in my ward are full of potholes. They should be closed soon,” said Udaya Mendon. Gunarathna, Prabhakar Kodi joining them urged that the potholes be closed urgently. The president answered them by saying that they will be closed soon with stone gravel mixture.

Prabhakar Kodi said that the street light problem in Kodi has still not been solved even after discussing about them in many meetings.

Allocated funds are not sufficient: Member Gunarathna said that Rs 3 lac allocated for her ward are not enough. “It should be increased to Rs 5 lac. When I was the president, such incidents did not happen.
I have developed the whole of Kundapur. All the wards should be developed, but the problem in my ward is acute and funds are required,” she said. The answer to it by the vice president angered the opposition. Congress members urged the president to answer them. Kalavathi, Ravikala, Prabhakara Kodi, Chandrashekar Kharvi who justified her statement urged that the president answer them. The president finally assured that it will be set right in future.

Raviraj Kharvi alleged that there is no coordination between officials and elected representatives. The chief executive clarifying it said that the tender is opened as per rules. “If it is to be opened in the
presence of the president in the future, please decide,” he said.

Raviraj Kharvi raised a question that a council official has scheduled a birthday celebration with meals at the council auditorium. “It is unfair,” he said. The president said that she has no information about
it. “It should not happen again. It is wrong,” she said.

Council president Vasanthi Saranga presided over the meeting. Vice president Rajesh Kaveri, local committee president Geetha, chief executive Gopalakrishna Shetty and others were present.