High Expectations from the new Mayor

High Expectations from the new Mayor

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, March 13, 2021: Every time a new Mayor is elected,  citizens of this port city  have some expectations from the first citizen. The same is the case  when Premananda Shetty was elected the new Mayor  of Mangaluru recently. One can even say that the expectations are  higher this time  given that the new Mayor is a highly experienced corporator.

Moreover in the past one year, he has been one of the more vocal BJP corporators and naturally his election to the top post has also kindled hopes that the city would see better days.

The new Mayor has already assured top priority to efficient implementation of the drinking water projects and also to ensure all projects which have already been  taken up are completed in a time bound manner. Welcome statements   indeed.

The city has more pressing problems that need urgent attention.  Parking is one issue and it is hoped he would hold consultations with the traffic police and other authorities to ensure the city gets good parking spaces which would also go a long way in easing congestion.

The proposed Pumpwell bus terminus project also needs to be fast-tracked and the Mayor should look into this aspect also on a priority basis as this terminus when operational would go a long way in decongesting the heart of the city.

Yet another more pertinent issue is regarding the roads. Already many roads in the city have been concretized. But what is noticed is that newly laid roads are dug up many a time owing to problems relating to underground water, drainage pipes etc. Such digging would render the amount spent on laying the road  waste and  there should be a mechanism wherein all underground pipes are in order before embarking upon concretisation.

The Mayor has already assured priority to provide various services online while it is a fact that glitches have hindered many online services of the MCC, though  such services like  online water, tax payment facilities are greatly helpful during pandemic times.

When referring to the pandemic one must also say that people are slowly letting down guard by not adhering to Covid guidelines, particularly by not wearing masks while   stepping out of houses or  attending functions. Let the  City Corporation make it a routine affair to   have a drive to ensure Covid guidelines are adhered to as this measure can go a long way in preventing a  second spike on Covid cases.

And the people would love to see the Mayor in action, on the field  at least on a few occasions, say once a week.  He should make it a point to visit at least one ward every week to have a firsthand account of the  works in progress, while also interacting with the local corporator as well as the  people to know about various  civic issues.  This measure would go a long way in instilling confidence   among citizens.

The  issue of street vendors too needs to be dealt in a pragmatic manner as various eviction drives held in the past have yielded no result and the effort of the earlier Congress rule to dedicate a space for street vendors not meeting with success.

The experience of the new Mayor would certainly come in handy while dealing with the various issues confronting the city and it is hoped  Premananda Shetty would  certainly   fulfill the aspirations as well as meet the expectations of Mangalureans and ensure many longstanding civic issues are addressed.