Mangaluru: Taking a dig at the BJP-led union government, former MLA J R Lobo alleged that the union government was responsible for stalled work of old port phase III extension as the project had not received sufficient funds from the central government.
Addressing a press meet at the District Congress Office, here on June 23, Lobo said that the foundation stone for the third phase of fishing jetty expansion was taken up in the year 2010, at an estimated cost of Rs 57.60 Crore. By 2015, the project should have been completed. The union government agreed to bear Rs 43.20 Crore and the state had to shell out Rs 14.40 Crore. Both the union government and the state government had given a nod for the project in October in 2010, he said.
When the third phase completes, nearly 1800 mechanised boats could be accommodated in the jetty. The work has been stalled due to insufficient funds.
“The work suffered because a few locals filed a litigation with the National Green Tribunal. Later in 2015, the National Green Tribunal cleared the litigation. By then, the project cost had escalated to Rs 98.26 Crore. Already Rs 51.89 Crore has been spent on this project. The state government has already sanctioned Rs 38.89 Crore. The union government should have sanctioned Rs 43.20 Crore but it has released only Rs 13 Crore so far”, Lobo alleged
