Yashodhara Bangera
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Sep 19: In a unanimous decision taken at the special session held in Moodbidri on Wednesday September 17, the town municipal council (TMC) decided to execute the new market project with an investment of Rs 25 crore with private participation on a 17-year lease. With this, the council has put into motion a project that had been in limbo since decades.
The council decided to allow private participation in this project in the light of paucity of funds and to avoid undue delays in the execution of the project. The session also decided to shift the market to Swaraj ground.
Executive director of Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation, Padmanabhan, who was present at the meeting, explained that construction of the market requires an investment of Rs 25 crore. He said that it is possible to raise Rs 18.5 crore from financial institutions if the municipal council can invest initial investment of Rs 6.5 crore. He however, asked the members to think whether it is feasible to take up this project, as the government does not provide guarantees for loans raised from banks. Alternatively, he suggested to give the project on lease to private entrepreneurs for 17 years.
Councillor, Koragappa, expressed apprehension that giving the market on lease to private parties may give rise to problems in the future, if they approach the court citing one or the other reason, and permanently take over the new market building through legal means. He pointed out that the municipality has not been able to collect arrears of rent running into lacs of rupees in respect of shops owned by the council and rented to shopkeepers. As he feared that giving the building to private parties might create chronic problems in future, he put forth the plea for construction of the building by the municipality.
Former municipal president, Ratnakar Devadiga, said that it was the prerogative of the municipality to serve eviction notices on those who have rental in arrears, adding that shops which fail to pay rent can be locked up. He felt that it is not justifiable to link this issue with execution of market project. Councillors, P K Thomas and Suresh Kotian, came up with the suggestion that the proposed market should have three basement floors and two upper floors. They also felt that it is not necessary to adopt the rules framed by Mangalore Aurban Development Authority as a model for building the complex. 'Let the earlier rules brought into force by the municipality continue, and let Moodbidri Urban Development Authority frame specific rules for the town,' they argued.
The session decided to regularize illegal water connections after levying a fine of Rs 2,000 per connection. The people were given two months time to get benefit of this scheme. As the members were opposed to regularization of commercial tap water connection, the meeting decided to collect penalty from them. Chief officer, Sheena Naik, told the meeting that stringent measures will be initiated to recover pending dues of Rs 60 lac towards water bills.
Municipal vice president, Aliza Menezes, standing committee chairman, Abdul Basheer, engineer, Dinesh, and others were present.