Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jul 13: Gurpur gram panchayat (GP), a year ago, had won the second place at the national level for development and cleanliness. But now, it has been drawing criticisms from some gram panchayat members and villagers.

Even though the gram panchayat had delayed payment of the contracted amount, the waste disposal contractors had disposed of waste on humanitarian grounds because of the prevalence of the pandemic. Now, the panchayat has called for fresh tender for waste disposal. Now, Bright Enterprises has won the contract but it is yet to begin work.

In the previous period, contract of four lac rupees was fixed for nine months waste disposal. But currently the contract is for eight lac rupees. A faction of the GP members feel that this is a case of power misuse. Waste stockpile is located at the Muloor and Addoor hill areas, spreading stink all around. This dump is spelling doom to the health of the citizens.

The husband of a GP member from Addoor has been interfering in all panchayat matters and misleading the administration. He has so much grip here that he has been able to guide the administration of the panchayat. He claimed that he would dispose the waste, hired private vehicles, and dumped the waste at Pachanady and Kalasaguri areas. After two private waste disposal vehicles were impounded and first information reports were filed, he has stopped working. As such, a huge waste dump has been created in the panchayat limits and photos of the same are found in social websites.

People of Muloor and Addoor say that for the last two weeks, the door-to-door garbage collection has not been undertaken. Cattle that are let free and street dogs have been spreading the garbage around. The villagers want all this to change by taking exhaustive measures to put these things in order. Gurpur panchayat development officer Abuakker, said that the problem will be addressed soon.