The Hindu 22.02.2010
Corporation seeks Rs. 402 crore for infrastructure projects
Raviprasad Kamila
| Proposal was submitted to State Finance Commission early this month |
Rs. 50 crore has been sought for renovation of Central Market
Mayor makes a case for re-introduction of octroi in the State
— Photo: R. Eswarraj 
DEVELOPMENT: Mangalore City Corporation has sought Rs.4 crore for a railway underpass at the Morgans Gate in Mangalore where frequent closure of the gate is posing problems to vehicle-users.
MANGALORE: Re-building the central market, constructing flyovers at Hampankatta and Karnataka Polytechnic (KPT) Junction, rejuvenating Emme Kere, an old lake, and re-constructing the large stormwater drains in the city are among the development projects the Mangalore City Corporation plans to take up during 2010-11.
Commissioner of the corporation K.N. Vijayaprakash told The Hindu that the Rs. 402-crore proposal for infrastructure development was submitted to A.G. Kodgi, chairman of the State’s Third Finance Commission, earlier this month. According to the proposal, the corporation has sought Rs. 50 crore for renovating the Central Market, Rs. 25 crore for constructing an overpass at Hampankatta Circle and Rs. 20 crore for another overpass at KPT Junction.
The civic body has demanded Rs. 40 crore for re-constructing large stormwater drains and Rs. 14 crore for rejuvenating the Emme Kere.
The corporation has sought Rs. 4 crore each for building railway underpasses at Padil and Morgan’s Gate (near Mahakalipadpu), and a railway overpass at Jeppu (on the Kankanady-Morgan’s Gate Road). It has sought Rs. 50 crore for concreting a few more tarred and another Rs. 25 crore for re-laying many existing tarred roads as, he said. Mr. Vijayaprakash said that sewage lines were there in only 30 per cent of the residential localities. Besides, the sewage lines in old Mangalore area needed to be renovated. The civic had sought Rs. 33 crore for both these works, he said. Other works for which funds had been sought included re-construction of general market at Urwa Stores and Urwa Market, fish market near city bus-stand, flower market at Car Street, development of Kadri Park, Tagore Park and Radio Park and repair of Town Hall, besides land acquisition in Pumpwell area for a new bus-stand and associated facilities there, he said.
Mayor M. Shankar Bhat said that the State Finance Commission had sanctioned more than Rs. 20 crore for 2009-10, which was being utilised for laying concrete roads and other works.
Mr. Bhat, who is the vice-president of Karnataka Council of Mayors and executive committee member of All India Council of Mayors, said that the city corporations in the State were incurring huge revenue loss after the lifting of Octroi in the State two decades ago.
The MCC would have earned an annual revenue of Rs. 75 crore from Octroi alone, if it had not been abolished, he said.
