Mangaluru: BJP picks up gauntlet for probe demand by Congress in Smart City works

MANGALURU: Dakshina Kannada unit of BJP has picked up the gauntlet to a demand made by former Congress MLC Ivan D’Souza who sought a probe by anti-corruption bureau (ACB) into smart city works in this coastal city. Ivan at a presser had alleged that smart city works are riddled with irregularities and in some cases are being executed at three times the estimated cost. The former MLC had demanded that ACB probe these issues.
Welcoming D’Souza’s demand, Sudheer Shetty, general secretary of the district unit of BJP told reporters on Saturday that BJP is also open to a probe by the Lokayukta. “The former MLC seems to have conveniently forgotten the fact that nearly 60% of the approval for the various smart city projects that are in various stages of implementation were given when the council in Mangaluru City Corporation was headed by the Congress,” Sudheer said.
Eight wards chosen for area based development (ABD) under Smart City Mission too were approved by the previous Congress-led council, Sudheer, former leader of the opposition in MCC council said. The state cabinet down to managing director of Mangaluru Smart City Ltd have powers to approve estimates for works based on the amount of the work involved. Estimates of works are benchmarked to the schedule of rates given by PWD, he said.
If the Congress has any doubts about the estimates drawn for the ongoing works, they should ask former MLA J R Lobo who was at the helm of affairs when the projects were discussed and finalised, Sudheer said. The board of MSCL, high powered committee headed by the state chief secretary and finally the state cabinet keep track of the projects under the smart cities mission which the ministry for housing and urban affairs monitors, he said.
Premanand Shetty, chief whip of the ruling BJP in MCC council said the Congress leadership is clearly flustered with the pace at which various smart city works are being implemented in the ABD wards. Neither the MSCL nor the MCC has forgotten its basic idea of undertaking river front development as D’Souza alleged, Premanand said. “This is a difficult project that involves consultations with various stakeholders and the process is on,” he said.