Udupi, Feb 5(TOI): The district has proved its one-upmanship compared to all other districts during the awards ceremony on Tuesday. All the three municipal bodies of the district, Udupi CMC, Kundapura TMC, bagged the top slot, while Karkala TMC conceded with the third position.

Udupi CMC president Kirankumar, vice-president Bharathi Chandrashekar and commissioner Gokuldas Nayak, were the happiest persons when they received the award from urban and municipal administration minister Suresh Kumar and a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh. Kundapur TMC president Mohandas Shenoy also received the best TMC award and a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh from Suresh Kumar.

Prema, president of Karkala TMC received a cash prize of Rs 25,000 for its achievements.

The award and accolades were given by way of professional evaluation of specific area of works and its implementation. Kundapura TMC can be scored the highest marks in the state by securing 345 counts in TMC category and Karkala followed by 316. In the CMC category, Udupi CMC secured 337 counts, whereas Mysore and Mangalore secured 334 and 280 counts, respectively.

Udupi CMC, according to sources, scored the highest marks in the state in counts regarding implementation of drinking water supply, revenue collection, cleanliness and infrastructure development. It also did fairly well in solid waste management and in services extended to public.

This is the second time that Udupi CMC is getting the award in the state, after 1996-97, when Leena Christie Issac was its president. In the early 1980s, it had bagged the first prize for being the best TMC in the state, when Somashekar Bhat was its president.

Udupi CMC has more reasons to be jubilant, as is celebrated its platinum jubilee this year. Higher education minister V S Acharya, Ranganath Shenoy former MP, K K Pai were the Udupi CMC's past presidents. Former union minister and Congress leader Oscar Fernandes, MP (Rajya Sabha) and NRI business tycoon B R Shetty had served as council members during late 1960s.