The Hindu 09.04.2010
Nanaiah: let CMC take up private bus-stand work
Staff Correspondent
| Some councillors favour taking up project on BOOT basis |
‘Handing over work to private parties will
deprive CMC of revenue'
Issue of NOC to Patrika Bhavan Trust discussed
M.C. Nanaiah
Madikeri: M.C. Nanaiah, MLC, and some councillors were divided over the construction of a private bus-stand here, with the Janata Dal (S) leader saying at the CMC meeting on Thursday that the work could be taken up by the CMC itself.
Handing over the project to private parties would deprive the CMC of revenue for a long time, Mr. Nanaiah said.
He was supported by Congress councillor T.M. Aiyappa who suggested that a delegation could meet the officials concerned on the issue.
Mr. Nanaiah asked the CMC authorities to seek the advice of Transport Commissioner Bhaskar Rao.
Congress councillor K.G. Harish suggested that the Build-Own-Operate-Transfer” (BOOT) basis would be ideal. They would maintain the bus-stand professionally, he said. BJP councillor G.M. Satish Pai endorsed Mr. Harish's views.
Licence
Mr. Harish raised the issue of slaughter of birds in chicken stalls, saying it violated the licence conditions. Action should be initiated in such cases, he said and called for restricting the issue of fresh licences. Congress councillor H.M. Nanda Kumar supported Mr. Harish on the issue.
President of CMC, P.D. Ponnappa, said that licences were given only to cold storages and open stalls where there would be no slaughter of animals. During his term, only three such licences were given, he said.
Licences issued in the past could not be cancelled, he said, but Mr. Nanaiah pointed out that they could be reviewed after the expiry of the licence period.
Patrika Bhavan
The question raised by the Kodagu District Journalists' Association (KDJA) against the Kodagu Patrika Bhavan Trust came up for discussion, with Mr. Nanaiah asking council authorities to continue the practice of issuing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the trust.
The trust is paying an annual lease rent to the CMC for the 0.05 acre land on which a complex has been built and maintained by it ( trust) since 2001.
The KDJA had filed an objection against the issuance of the NOC, following which the CMC decided at a previous meeting, not to issue the certificate.
The CMC had nothing to do with the issue and the contending parties could settle the matter in court, Mr. Nanaiah said, favouring maintaining the status quo in this regard. He was supported by Muneer Ahmad, independent councillor.
Opposition argues
Mr. Nanaiah supported the Opposition Congress and independent members who alleged that the ruling BJP had not taken them into confidence while preparing the action plan for the Rs. 15 crore received under the Chief Minister's Small and Medium Town Development Project (CMSMTDP) towards development of Madikeri city.
Mr. Ponnappa clarified that as per the directions issued by the State Government, a committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner, with the CMC president, its commissioner and the MLA representing the CMC constituency as members, would prepare the action plan.
The action plan would be approved by the Minister in charge of the district and sent to the Government for release of funds, Mr. Ponnappa said.
The plan, involving Rs. 11 crore, had been readied and approved for taking up concrete drainage works, repairing roads, installing 10 highmast lamps and providing solar lamps in the slums, Mr. Ponnappa added.
