Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Feb 4: Members of the BJP, JD(S) and SDPI of Ullal city municipality council objected to conducting of the auctions of Thokkottu Olapete market which was renovated under Nagarottan-3 scheme.

A C Harshavardhan, a viewer of the auction, called the Ullal police and got the protesting members out of the auction process meeting.

As the auction process began on the morning of Saturday, February 3, BJP member Geeta Bai said, “I came to know about the auctioning of the market of my ward on Friday evening. There is no transparency in the process as 16 shops are reserved. I request the AC to immediately stop the auctions.”

When the AC continued with the auctioning process, members of the BJP, SDPI and JD(S) began sloganeering. They were taken out of the hall by the police. Later, they protested outside the gate of the Ullal city municipality.

Member Rameez said, “DC had ordered to carry out the auctions on January 10, 2023. Many people paid a fee of Rs 500 to take part in the auctions. Why was that auction withheld? Where is the money which the public paid as deposit? What is the objective of holding the auction now that too all of a sudden?”

Kamarunnisa, member of City municipality charged, “This auction is being done for the benefit of officials. Municipal commissioner is working for one political party. Without taking the members into confidence, the intimation pertaining to the auction was sent on WhatsApp on Friday evening itself.”

The auction process was completed amidst the protests. Many members alleged that a former vice-president of the city municipality has taken lacs of rupees in the form of bribe and allotted the shops to his people.