Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Sep 13: MP Nalin Kumar Kateel has asked Snehal R, managing director of Mangaluru Smart City Limited, not to build any more bus shelters in the city, under the Smart City Mission, that costs a whopping Rs 12 lac per shelter when the same is being built in New Delhi at just Rs five lac.

Nalin was speaking in a meeting of district development, coordination and monitoring committee. He said that the cost of each bus shelter built in the city under the Smart City project at a cost of Rs 12 lac is way too high. Nalin also said that the bus shelters built so far in the city are unscientific and does not cover 600 square feet area as claimed by the builder. Snehal is asked to hold an inquiry into the high cost incurred in building these bus shelters.

Bus stand built under Smart City Mission (File photo)

Nalin Kumar Kateel also pulled up the concerned officials for the exorbitant price of Rs six crore spent for converting the 300 meter stretch of road between A B Shetty Circle and Clock Tower into a concrete one. Moreover, the MP said that the building of Clock Tower itself is unscientific and will increase the traffic chaos in the city rather than resolve it. According to Nalin, Rs 55 crore is sanctioned for connecting the missing links of the underground drainage system of the city under the AMRUT scheme. However, he said that it is wrong to allocate this money for the Smart City project.

The officials of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and National Highways Division of the State Public Works department were instructed by MP Nalin Kumar Kateel to take up the repair work of the damaged roads that are damaged due to the incessant rains from October 1. The MP also informed that chief minister of the state B S Yediyurappa will hold a meeting of elected representatives and other officials to discuss the road issues of Dakshina Kannada district and resolve them as soon as possible.