Congress seeks White Paper on financial status of Mangaluru city corporation

Congress seeks White Paper on financial status of Mangaluru city corporation

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Oct 01, 2022: The Congress Opposititon in Mangaluru City Corporation Council on Friday, September 30, sought the ruling BJP to come out with a White Paper on the financial status of the corporation.

 

 

 

 

The former Mayor and a member of the Congress M. Shashidhar Hegde said that the BJP should reveal the outstanding dues of the corporation in the council. Earlier, another Congress member Abul Rauf told the council that the corporation owes ₹87 crore to Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt. Ltd. which is handling the solid waste for the corporation. It includes the minimum wages (₹55 crore) to be paid to the workers, escalation cost (₹14 crore) and arbitration amount (₹18 crore). In addition, the civic body in general owes ₹1,500 crore loan, he claimed.

However, Shabarinath Rai, Zonal Commissioner, Central Office told the council that the civic body owed ₹9 crore to the company. The arbitration amount and the escalation cost have not been finalised, he said.

The Congress members, including A. C. Vinayraj, pressed the ruling party to come out clearly on the status of detailed project report (DPR) on solid waste management which is pending approval from the government. Replying to it, Mayor Jayananda Anchan said that a meeting of senior councillors will be convened to discuss the matters pertaining to the solid waste management.

Mr. Vinayraj also drew attention of the council on the issues pertaining to the installation of LED streetlights which has not become a reality. He alleged that Mangaluru Smart City Ltd (MSCL) has indulged in corruption as it has awarded the contract of second phase works of Command and Control Centre to a blacklisted company. The second phase works amounted to the tune of ₹28 crore, Mr. Vinayraj said.

T. Praveenchandra Alva from the Congress said that many footpaths have been encroached upon by petty shop keepers. It has posed problem to pedestrians, he said.

Courtesy: The Hindu