The new Mayor, Premananda Shetty, said here on Wednesday that the city corporation will take steps for issuing water bills monthly.
Speaking to presspersons after taking charge along with the Deputy Mayor Sumangalam he said that the corporation presently has 60 multi-purpose workers (MPWs). Commissioner of the corporation Akshy Sridhar has suggested that the civic body could hire 30 more workers. With 90 MPWs the corporation can issue water bills monthly.
With regard to the MPWs issuing abnormal bills to some consumers, he said that the workers have been apprised to be careful while issuing the bills. If there is any fault in water meter or the meter is not clearly visible for reading, they have been instructed to exercise the option of recording ‘meter not reading’ or ‘legible’ options while issuing the bills to consumers without charging abnormally. This provides the consumers an option to correct the meters. In such cases, they have been instructed to issue the bills by calculating the quantity of water used on average basis based on the previous bill issued.
The Mayor said that with the ‘Jalasiri’ project to ensure round-the-clock water supply being taken up in the city he will review its progress monthly.
To a question on ‘raja kaluves’ being encroached upon in some places, the Mayor said that the civic body has conducted a survey of those major stormwater drains using drones in eight wards. If encroachments are visible steps will be taken to remove them.
Asked about the newly built Urwa Market complex not being put into use fully, Mr. Shetty said that the Mangaluru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), which has constructed the building for the corporation by availing loan, and the city corporation are working out the modalities of taking over, allotment of shops, maintenance aspectsl, and repayment of loan. The MUDA has put forth two proposals which would be discussed and finalised.
Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyasa Kamath said that the issues related to the funding pattern has delayed the progress of Mallikatta and Kankanady market complex projects. The administration in the city corporation earlier should have entered into a tripartite agreement comprising the city corporation, bank, and the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) to finalise the funding pattern before taking up those projects. It was not done. The previous administration took up the project in a hurry without clarity on the funding pattern.
Now, a new funding pattern has been worked out without availing loan from any bank. The approval of the Cabinet for it is awaited.
The KUIDFC will bear 70% of the project cost through loan to be given to the civic body. Earlier its share had been worked out at 30%. The balance 30% would be borne by the corporation by augmenting the amount from various sources.