Mayor’s First of its Kind ‘Janaspandana Meet’ Dealt with Grievances of 60 MCC Wards Residents
Mangaluru: The First of its kind ‘JANASPANDANA MEET’ an initiative by Mangaluru City Corporation Mayor Sudheer Shetty Kannur held at Town Hall, Mangaluru saw a very low turnout of residents from across 60 Wards of Mangaluru City Corporation. This meeting was one-of its-kind programme to redress public grievances There were hardly 50 plus people in the entire hall, while there were around 15-20 officials on stage, including MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Mayor Sudheer Shetty; MLA Vedavyas Kamath; Former mayor Sashidhar Hegde; Deputy MCC Mayor Ms Sunitha; Chief Whip Premananda Shetty, Leader of the Opposition Praveenchandra Alva, chairpersons of standing committees; Ward corporators and others were present. In all, 28 grievances were submitted by the citizens residing in MCC limits.
Speaking on the occasion, Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said the Janaspandana programme organised by Mayor Sudheer Shetty Kannur is one of its kind to provide relief to city residents who are facing difficulties following inaction by city corporation officials. Inaugurating the Mayor’s Janaspandana here, Kateel congratulated the Mayor for his initiative. Grievances of residents from across 60 wards of MCC were heard in the programme. The MP said people were made to wait endlessly to get their issues addressed as the officials concerned drag their applications citing procedural aspects. Officials, who might think that they would stay permanently in one position, should learn the position is not permanent. People’s representatives were earning bad names because of officials’ follies, he alleged.
The mayor said the Janaspandana was a step forward from his monthly phone-in programme to hear directly from the citizens. The programme was being organised in the presence of all the officials concerned, he said adding if issues were not sorted out on the spot, they would be addressed in a fortnight. During the meeting, it was discussed that more than 400 orders issued by the commissioners of Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) in the past for the demolition of illegal buildings in the city still exist. The issue was raised by activist Hanumanth Kamath, who blamed the MCC for not implementing the demolition orders even after the courts upheld the same.
“There are more than 400 orders issued by the previous commissioners to demolish illegal buildings. More than 100 building owners have challenged the corporation’s orders in court. In some of the cases, courts have upheld the demolition orders of the MCC too. However, none of such illegal buildings have been demolished yet,” Kamath said. Officials in reply said the issue would be discussed in a meeting to be held within two days. When Kamath brought to the notice of the mayor about the absence of officials during office hours, MCC deputy commissioner (administration) Ravi Kumar M said that necessary action would be taken to ensure that officials were available in their respective offices to offer services.
Road Digging Frequently on the stretch of Kankanady Junction till Nandigudda Circle, a complaint raised by former MLC Ivan D’Souza
Former MLC Ivan D’Souza who was a participant in the audience raised the issue of digging roads in the city for various development works. He said the concrete road stretch from Kankanady junction to Koti Chennaya Circle has been dug for various works for the past three-and-half-year. An earthmover/JCB was permanently stationed near Valencia Circle for over a year. He regretted random road cutting across the city by different agencies without coordination. The Mangalore Autorickshaw and Car Drivers’ Cooperative (MACO) Society, of which he is the president, lost Rs 38 lakh business last year as its petrol pump at Balmatta remained cut off from the main road, he noted. Ivan was also critical of the city administration’s move to push private city buses to the State Bank Bus Terminal. People going to areas around State Bank have to walk extra because of this, he said.
Activist GK Bhat sought relief for property owners from the rule of 2020 that mandates tax for vacant land in the city corporation. MCC deputy commissioner (revenue) Rekha Shetty said that the tax rate fixed for vacant land in Mangaluru city is the lowest among all other city corporations. To a query on the lack of bus shelters in the city, the officer said a proposal to construct 12 shelters with the participation of advertisers will be implemented after a nod from the MCC council.
Officials informed that while there are 988 hoardings in the city, 138 are identified as illegal. The city corporation has already imposed a penalty on many agencies that installed hoardings illegally. The corporation has collected Rs 11 lakhs as a penalty and a mobile app is also being developed to upload data with photos and location of the hoardings in the city.