Congress threatens to complain against BJP-led MCC council for seeking KUIDFC loan for building retaining walls, storm-water drains in Mangaluru

The Opposition Congress in the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) said on Saturday that it will complain to the government against the council led by the BJP, for taking a decision to seek ₹27.25 crore loan from the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUDFC ) to take up minor development projects, such as constructing retaining walls and storm-water drains in all 60 wards.

In addition, the party will also launch protests in the city against the decision taken.

Addressing presspersons, leader of the Opposition in the council Naveen R. D’Souza said that the complaint will be sent to the Secretary of the Urban Development Department, the Urban Development Minister, and the Chief Minister.

The government will be requested not to approve the loan sought in the council meeting held on December 30.

He said that the loan should be availed for visionary projects, such as for building market complexes, which will bring revenue to the corporation when completed.

If not the loan should be availed for major infrastructure projects, such as for laying underground drainage or providing drinking water, which will benefit a large sections of society and not for minor projects.

The corporation should use its internal resources for taking up minor projects like building retaining walls which will cost ₹3 lakh or so.

He reiterated that if the corporation did not have funds to take up minor projects it should come out with a white paper on its financial status.

Mr. D’Souza said that the corporation had tabled the same agenda in the meeting of the council about three months ago which was opposed by the Congress.

After tabling the agenda, which had been approved in advance by the Mayor expecting the approval of the council, again in the meeting on December 30, the ruling BJP has underlined the importance of the debates in council.

The former Mayor and now Congress councilor M. Shashidhar Hegde recalled that when the Congress was leading the council in 2002-03 the first major concrete road of the city was laid from PVS Junction to Urwa Stores without availing any loan.

At that time the corporation had not even introduced the property tax collection system under the self assessment scheme.

The internal resources was used to rebuild the major road of the city as concrete road. The action plan for taking up 255 minor projects at an estimated cost of ₹38.89 crore, which included ₹27.25 crore loan to be availed from the KUIDFC and which was formally approved by the council on Friday, should not have prepared at the behest of the MLAs of Mangaluru City South and North.

The Mayor should have taken a call on preparing it, he said.