The Hindu 31.12.2009
Udupi Paryaya preparations dominate CMC meeting
Staff Correspondent
| ‘Repair and upgrading works on roads and foothpaths progressing at brisk pace’ |
‘Proper drinking water and toilet facilities should be provided for tourists’
‘Temples, schools should be asked to make arrangements to accommodate some tourists’
Udupi: The issue of preparations for the Paryaya festival dominated the general body meeting of the Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC) here on Wednesday.
Raising the issue, councillor M.R. Pai sought to know if the CMC was preparing for the Paryaya festival. The CMC president, Dinakar Shetty, said that repair and upgrading work on roads, drains and footpaths was progressing at a brisk pace. The district administration had decided to make Car Street a vehicle-free zone. Consequently it was making parking arrangements on almost all roads leading to Car Street, he said.
Councillor Mohan Upadhya said that a lot of tourist buses were parking at a ground near Kalsanka. A large number of tourists had been coming to the city to visit the Sri Krishna Math/temple in the last few days. Proper drinking water and toilet facilities should be provided, he said.
Intervening, Mr. Shetty said that usually vehicles were parked behind Rajangana. Since that area was being developed and the drainage system there was being upgraded, the vehicles were being parked near Kalsanka. He said that drinking water facility was available at Kalsanka and that additional temporary toilet facilities would be provided. Shyamprasad Kudva, councillor, said that some days ago, some tourists could not secure accommodation. There would be a further increase in the number of tourists before the Paryaya festival began. Therefore, it was necessary to ask some temples and schools in the city to make arrangements to accommodate the tourists, he said.
Mr. Pai said mobile phone transmission towers were mushrooming in the city. While giving permission for such towers to be set up, the stability of the building and health risks should be taken into account. He said that last year a tower collapsed in Manipal. According to him, annual fees should be collected from the companies installing the towers, he said.
CMC Commissioner Gokuldas Nayak said that as many as 78 towers were there in the city. Four more applications had come up before the CMC and the applicants had been told to follow the guidelines, he said.
To a question by councillor Kiran Kumar, Mr. Shetty said that funds were being allotted for the development of notified areas. Most of the funds were being utilised to develop the roads in these areas, he said. CMC vice-president Indira Shekhar was present. Earlier, the members of CMC observed a minute’s silence to mourn the deaths of actor Vishnuvardhan, singer C. Ashwath and BJP MLC S. Kailash.
