‘Bring MDC under Udupi City Municipal Council’

‘Bring MDC under Udupi City Municipal Council’

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Jan 09, 2016: Councillors cutting across party lines demanded that the Malpe Development Committee (MDC) be brought under the control of the Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC), at the general body meeting of the municipal council here on Friday.

M.R. Pai, Leader of the Opposition, said that a giant wheel had been installed at the Malpe beach by the MDC headed by the Deputy Commissioner. Besides some adventure water sports such as para sailing was being held there.

“Will not the giant wheel lose balance in the sand? What safeguards have been taken for the water sports? Why was the MDC charging a rent of Rs. 30,000 to conduct any function on the beach?,” he asked.

Arrangements

Herga Dinaker Shetty, councillor, sought to know the arrangements made by the CMC to manage a large number of devotees who would take a dip at the sea during the Yellamavasya festival.

D. Manjunathayya, CMC Commissioner, who is also the secretary of MDC, said that the giant wheel had been allowed after testing of the sand condition on the beach by a professor of Manipal Institute of Technology. An amount of Rs. 30 lakh had been spent on beautification of the beach.

A watch and ward tower had been constructed and 10 life guards posted there, he said. Prashanth Amin, councillor, said that the MDC along with the Department of Tourism was constructing a road near the beach at a cost of Rs. 1.69 crore. This had led to rupturing of some drinking water pipelines and people were blaming the CMC for it. The local councillors were not being taken into confidence by the MDC, he said.

Mr. Shetty said that developmental works at Malpe beach was earlier under the CMC. But after the dissolution of the CMC a few years ago, the then Deputy Commissioner was appointed as administrator for CMC. It was during this period that the administrator formed the MDC with himself at its head. It was not a decision of an elected body.

Kiosks

The MDC had now setting up kiosks for snacks in the area meant for parking vehicles.

“How could the MDC take up works on the Malpe beach without informing the CMC?” he asked.

Almost all councillors demanded that the MDC be brought under the CMC. Finally, it was decided that CMC president P. Yuvaraj talk to the Deputy Commissioner. It was only after the talks that a decision would be taken on passing a resolution on bringing the MDC under the CMC.

 

Courtesy: Thehindu