Funds meant for restoring roads diverted to water treatment project

Funds meant for restoring roads diverted to water treatment project

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, September 14, 2024: The funds meant for restoring roads dug up for laying water supply pipelines under the Jala Siri Project in the city being diverted to the water treatment plant (WTP) coming up at Adyar came to the light at the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting here on Friday, September 13.

Capt. Brijesh Chowta, Dakshina Kannada MP, presided over the meeting.

An official of the project told the meeting that ₹67 crore reserved for restoring roads have been diverted to ₹127 crore WTP being built at Adyar.

A project official said that the fund was diverted as per the instruction of the government which has asked to avail fund for restoring roads from State Finance Commission grants or from Mahatma Gandhi Nagar Vikas Yojana.

Taking exception to this, D. Vedavyasa Kamath and Y. Bharat Shetty, Mangaluru city MLAs, wondered how it could be done. Dr. Shetty said that the MLAs have been kept in the dark about the WTP project and the diversion of funds.

The MLAs said without funds for restoring roads, people have been left in the lurch.

Ekalavya Residential School

Capt. Chowta said the Union Ministry for Tribal Affairs has sanctioned an Ekalavya Residential Model School to Dakshina Kannada. A 15-acre land for opening the school should be identified.

The MP expressed unhappiness over the Plastic Park project not making any headway notwithstanding his instructions.

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign will have to be taken up in the district by planting saplings. Capt. Chowta said that he has also written in this regard to schools.

The MP asked Mangaluru Smart City Ltd. to complete the upgradation of Pumpwell-Padil Road on priority as the same road will witness heavy traffic movement once the Nanthor Junction underpass project begins within a month. Mangaluru City Corporation should shift the utility lines at the Junction on priority to enable the NHAI to take up the project, he said.

He instructed the Additional Deputy Commissioner G. Santosh Kumar to call a meeting of MCC and NHAI at the earliest to sort out any issues in the shifting of utility lines.