By Silvester D’ Souza

Daijiworld Media Network—Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Apr 1: Congress members at the Town Municipal Council meeting held on Tuesday March 31 refused to sign the attendance register alleging that the decisions taken during the meeting are not being implemented.

The refusal of three Congress members to sign the register dissatisfied the president and all Congress members except one walked out of the meeting. The incident occurred at a regular meeting of the Town Municipal Council in Kundapur.

Pushpa Shet expressed anguish at the beginning of the meeting over the failure to demolish a petty shop though the president had ordered its demolition. This created arguments in the meeting. Three of the Congress members did not sign the register saying that the decisions in the meeting are not being implemented. President Kalavathi, meanwhile, requested the members to sign the register. Members sitting in the ruling party benches did not budge. Finally, she asked those who did not sign to leave. All the annoyed Congress members walked out of the meeting. Prabhakar Kodi, a member supported by the Congress, however, stayed, and the meeting continued.

Continuing the discussion on the STD petty shop, the members questioned why the shop was not demolished. Sridhar Sherugar, joining them, said that such things increase if taken lightly. “It is necessary to take legal action against them,” he said. The talk did not please BJP members who were in opposition. There were arguments between Raghavendra Devadiga, Vittal Kunder, and Sherugar.

They opined that all unauthorized petty shops should be demolished without any discrimination. Rajesh Kaveri asked who the people giving orders for the demolition were. He queried whether it was the revenue department or the Town Municipal Council. “The board says ‘Old Town Panchayat’ in the Municipal Council Building. Officials have not corrected it,” said Pushpa Shet and demanded that the president explain about the order.

Gopalakrishna Shetty, chief official, said that if it is unanimously decided to demolish all unauthorized petty shops and all the members help him to work transparently, the shops will be demolished under police protection. Chandrashekar Kharvi suggested that such a decision be arrived at.

Senior member Gunarathna said that the council should think about it seriously. “Members are pressurized with regard to petty shops. The officials also should control the situation with care,” he said.

The matter gave rise to heated discussions. Ravikala Ganesh Sherugar, Prabhakar Kodi, and Devaki Sannayya spoke expressing their anger.

President Kalavathi presided over the meeting. Vice-president Nagaraja Kamadhenu, local committee president Suresh Nayak, and chief official Gopalakrishna Shetty were present.