Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB/DJ)

Udupi, Mar 23: Close on the heels of Udupi MLA and district in-charge minister Pramod Madhwaraj's clarification that he would not be joining the BJP as speculated in a section of the media, the district BJP on Friday March 23 released a 'chargesheet' against the popular Congress MLA alleging him of 'mismanagement' and 'zero' development.

Addressing a press meet here, former MLA and BJP leader Raghupati Bhat lashed out at Madhwaraj over various issues, from poor maintenance of the district hospital to non-execution of monorail.

The 19-point 'chargesheet' begins with the issue of the district hospital. "Five years ago it was promised that a multi-specialty Rs 500-crore modern district hospital would be built, but nothing has been done so far. Patients are still forced to go to Mangaluru for advanced treatement," Raghupati Bhat said.

He also referred to the 'privatisation' of the government mother and child hospital and said that if the treatment was indeed free as claimed, at least 200 of the 500 bed facility should be handed over to the government. He alleged 'mismanagement' and 'favouritism' in the process, and promised that if BJP were to come to power in the state, a 200-bed hospital with clinics would be built to provide free treatment to the poor.

Bhat also attacked the minister over road development. "Land was acquired for widening the roads in Kalsanka and Udupi, but there has been no progress. No new road has been built. Only Manipal-Perampalli road has been widening to four lane, but that also is unscientific," he alleged.

He also claimed that Madhwaraj had completely failed to retain the post-graduation centre in Udupi. "During the tenure of the late Dr V S Acharya and when I was the MLA, Rs 5 crore had been sanctioned for PG centre in Udupi. A land measuring 30 acres was also earmarked for the purpose in Uppoor. However, Vinay Kumar Sorake brought Uppoor under Belapu gram panchayat, thereby depriving the people of Udupi and Kundapur of the PG centre," he said.

Failure to form Brahmavar town municipal council and official execution of Brahmavar as a taluk till recently, non-execution of the Neelavar-Uppoor-Jomlu multi-village drinking water project that was sanctioned under the previous BJP government were other points in the chargesheet. "No development has taken place in Udupi district. No new projects have come, instead only those that were initiated by the BJP were completed."

Raghupati Bhat also alleged that the district in-charge minister was 'supporting the sand mafia' and that he had 'failed to meet the drinking water needs of the district'.

"The minister has promised that there will not be any hike in trade license fee, tax and water bills, but he has failed in keeping the promise and has instead hiked the taxes unconstitutionally," he added.

Failure to construct a agriculture college at Brahmavar proposed by the BJP government, shelving cricket stadium project at Beedinagudde, alleged 'scam' in the name of constructing Brahmavar taluk complex, boasting about getting funds upto Rs 2000 crore to his constituency without giving accounts of the expenditure, failure in effective implementation of AMRUT scheme of the centre, 'letting down' fishermen community, unscientific Varahi project, 'scam' in distributing sports kits, failure to build new schools and colleges and 'fooling' voters with irrelevent projects like monorail and gas pipeline were other points the BJP attacked the minister on.

Bhat also attacked Madhwaraj for not participating in a marathon held in Manipal.

"Over the past four years, the district has seen as many as seven deputy commissioners. Honest officials are transferred quickly. The present DC (Priyanka Francis) has stayed on as she listens to orders from her bosses," Bhat alleged.

On the rumours regarding Madhwaraj joining the BJP, he said, "If he is the number 1 MLA, why is he looking at BJP's doors? If he wants to join us, we will welcome him. We have never closed our doors to anyone. Just as degree certificates, he might have given money to get the tag of number 1 MLA."

He asserted, "We do not want Pramod Madhwaraj in our party. We have never invited him either. If he wants to join the BJP, let him give an application to the district BJP president and be as party worker."

To the 'NAmage MOsa' social media campaign against the BJP by the Congress which Madhwaraj himself had mentioned, he said, "It is he (Madhwaraj) who is cheating us. When his mother is in BJP, we expected the son also to come along, but he left her alone and went with the Congress. Is this not cheating?"