There is no gainsaying the fact that the BJP-ruled
Mangalore City Corporation, helped by special grants from the State
government, concreted several roads and made them pothole-free in the
last five years. Launching of the project to construct second vented dam
to augment city’s water supply and the latest door-to-door collection
of garbage are some of the other positives for the civic body.

But
with the announcement of elections to civic bodies, Mangalore City
Corporation appears to have put a stop on development projects,
including ongoing ones.

This is likely to delay
construction of pavements and storm-water drains on major roads which
were concreted two years ago. The promise of two key “model roads” may
also be just that, a promise. The work is running behind schedule.

The
extra-cautious Mangalore City Corporation has resorted to stop all work
to avoid being questioned for violation of the model code of conduct
though it does not apply to ongoing projects. With the elections to the
Assembly round the corner, one wonders if citizens will have to bear
with added delay in undertaking or completing the ongoing projects.
“There are few chances of taking up the work till completion of Assembly
elections, which might be announced anytime,” a corporation official
conceded.

Lack of planning

Lack
of pavements and storm-water drains along the much-hyped concretised
roads has come for sharp criticism from people. “Authorities went ahead
with concreting roads without putting a thought to pavements and storm
water drains, which is an integral part of any road network. People have
to suffer for the lack of proper planning and execution,” said Prakash
Bhat, an RTI activist.

Mr. Bhat pointed out the
difficulty faced by people using K.S. Rao Road and Car Street. “Road has
been widened end-to-end leaving hardly any space for pedestrians on
either side. We continue to walk on the road at the risk of being hit by
vehicles,” he said.

Ends with foundation

It
was in 2010 that the Mangalore City Corporation finished concreting
major roads in the city without making provisions for pavements and
storm-water drains. In September 2012, Deputy Speaker and Mangalore
South MLA N. Yogish Bhat laid foundation for constructing storm-water
drains between Rao and Rao Circle and Clock Tower; Mangalore Central
Railway and Nandigudda Circle; and between A.B. Shetty Circle and Subash
Nagar Junction (one side). These three projects were entrusted to the
Dakshina Kannada Nirmiti Kendra. But there is no action on the ground.

Further,
the corporation has entrusted the Kendra with more work of laying
storm-water drains and pavements: between KSRTC Junction and Kuntikana
Junction (either side of the road); from Mangalore Central Railway
Station and Nandigudda Circle (another side); on one side of Kadri
Kambla Road; from Bunts’ Hostel Circle to Mallikatta Junction; from
Shivbagh Junction to Horticulture Junction.

The story
is the same: All these projects — estimated to cost MCC Rs. 16 crore —
have not been taken up as the corporation is yet sanction money to the
Kendra.

Zero activity

There
is no semblance of activity on the model roads that the corporation had
planned to lay between Kudroli Temple and New Chitra Cinema; and
between Srinivasa College, Pandeshwara, and Ramakrishna Mission. Better
quality of roads, including well-laid pavements, was promised. The
projects were supposed to begin last month.

The two
model new concrete roads were supposed to come up under the Tender SURE
(Specification for Urban Road Execution) format. The cost of laying the
road between Kudroli Temple and New Chitra Cinema was estimated at Rs.
11.5 crore; and the road between Srinivasa College Pandeshwar and
Ramakrishna Mission was estimated at Rs. 4.5 crore. Mangalore City
Corporation Commissioner Harish Kumar told in a press conference in
December 2012 that this work will begin in another 45 days.

No
activity is seen at least between Srinivasa College and Ramakrisha
Mission. To make matters worse, at a few places between Kudroli Temple
and New Chitra Cinema, stone slabs covering roadside drains have been
removed and are placed such that they have been causing inconvenience to
pedestrians.

A senior MCC official said tenders have
been called for the two roads. “Further process has been stopped
because of the election code of conduct,” the official said.