Mangaluru: Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) mayor Jacintha Vijaya Alfred instructed officials to crack down on illegal hoardings, after councilors from prime opposition BJP stressed that advertisement revenue had hit due to unauthorized hoardings erected in the city. The issue was raised during the MCC council meeting here on Monday.
The deputy commissioner of revenue department Raju Mogaveera informed the chair as many as 175 illegal hoardings had been regularized. This invited severe censure by key opposition party in the council for failing to initiate action against the violators. “Why regularize illegal hoarding who caused massive loss to the corporation rather punishing them” one of the BJP councilor asked. However few corporators from the Congress joined the BJP to voice against the violators.
Following this the Mayor passed the order to clean all illegal hoardings put up in the city. “All illegal hoarding should be removed”, Mayor ruled.
Protest against waste management
Soon after this issue came to a logical end, the members from JD(S), SDPI and Independent councillors jumped to the well of the council showing placards to mark protest against solid waste management mess. According to JD(S) member M Abdul Azeej, Antony waste handling cell private limited were not collecting waste from every houses in the city.
He criticized the officials for snail-like progress in implementing the new waste handling system even after 2 months of lunching the program. His claims backed by most of the corporators cutting across the party line. The BJP and Congress councilors in united voice demanded Mayor and the Commissioner Hephsiba Korlapati Rani to resolve the problem. Former Mayor Mahabala Marla contended after April 1 MCC would be collecting solid waste cess (tax) and collection of waste should be realized fully on the ground.
The Commissioner, MCC Rani in reply to the complaints told MCC under her directions has reserved 2 hours each day to trouble shoot problems pertaining to solid waste management. The MCC has been convening regular meetings to address the problems. She told “I am against the private agencies current operation style as it works from Mumbai.”
The Mayor ordered MCC Commissioner should consider the matter with seriousness to redress the problems.
