The Hindu 13.10.2010
Madikeri CMC resolves to clear roads of workshops, vendors
Staff Correspondent
| It will not only help ease congestion but also beautify city's ambience |
Independent councillors object to collection of excess parking fee
Official draws flak over delay in tackling stray dog and cattle menace
Madikeri: The Madikeri City Municipal Council (CMC) passed a resolution at its monthly meeting here on Tuesday to clear encroachment upon roads and pavements by owners of automobile workshops and scrap vendors to facilitate smooth movement of traffic.
This was announced by president of the CMC P.D. Ponnappa, who presided over the meeting. The police would be requested to implement the resolution, Mr. Ponnappa said.
The CMC planned to shift 15 scrap vendors, who had encroached upon the pavements and narrow roads, to a place away from the city in July. The decision to clear such encroachments will not only help decongest the narrow roads but also beautify the ambience of the city and obviate the risk of accidents.
Independent councillors K.T. Baby Mathew and S.I. Muneer Ahmad objected to collection of parking fee at the Raja Seat gardens in excess of the prescribed rates. Mr. Ponnappa asked revenue inspector Ramesh to look into the matter. If there were irregularities, the contract would be cancelled, he said.
Replying to a question on providing Ashraya houses to pourakarmikas, Commissioner of the CMC Srikanth Rao said that he had written to the Deputy Commissioner to grant one acre of land at Ukkuda on the outskirts of the city for the purpose.
When the issue of alleged encroachments upon CMC land came up for discussion, Mr. Ponnappa asked the councillors and the Commissioner to take steps to clear them.
The meeting decided to reserve 60 per cent of Rs. 22 lakh available for spending under poverty alleviation programmes to provide assistance to the poor to construct houses, get electricity and drinking water, and towards medical expenditure.
Mr. Ponnappa said the help of the Social Welfare Department would be sought to shift the beggars to Beggars' Home in Mysore. The revenue inspector drew flak for the delay in tackling the stray dog and cattle menace. Raising the issue, councillors Abdul Razak and T.M. Aiyappa of the Congress also said that streetlights were not working in many localities, especially when the Dasara festivities were on. The engineer concerned was told to ensure proper streetlights.
Mr. Aiyappa said that the issue of closing down of 138 petty shops in the city should be given a re-look as most of such shop owners were poor. Vasanta Keshava of the BJP supported him. Mr. Ahmad, who objected to it, sought to know why the issue should be discussed when a decision had been taken to clear petty shops from pavements.
Vice-president of the CMC Lata Bangera and Chairman of the Works Committee T.S. Prakash were present.
