During the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, several development projects under the Smart City Mission and the drinking water project under the Jalsiri scheme were launched in the city. Dakshina Kannada Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson and Mangaluru Municipal Corporation councilor AC Vinayaraj said on Monday that the present BJP government is not accepting it.
Talking to reporters, Mr. Vinayaraj said that in 2016, during the tenure of Mr. Siddaramaiah, the Central Government launched the Smart City Mission and the State Government brought the Jalsiri scheme. The Siddaramaiah government provided ₹100 crore for smart city projects. The Mangaluru Smart City Limited received ₹67 crore for various developmental projects during UT Khadar’s tenure as urban development minister in 2018.
“The Mangaluru smart city projects started in 2018 and have picked up pace now. The BJP government is projecting these works as its achievement, while the Congress has failed to acknowledge the contribution of the government.
Mr. Vinayaraj said that the river front development project of MSCL was started by the Congress government. The BJP government failed to take this project forward. The BJP government has not taken any significant steps to improve the livelihood of fishermen. The BJP has used the Smart City funds for works on roads and drains, instead of doing things that provide employment and improve the economy of the area. He said that the Comptroller and Auditor General has pointed out lapses in the utilization of the Smart City Fund.
Questioning Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyas Kamath’s claim that he worked hard to get permission from the central government to construct 978 houses for economically weaker sections in deemed forest land in Shaktinagar , Mr. Vinayaraj said that it was Mr. Kamath. And his supporters who opposed it in 2018 saying that the land has been treated as forest. “It is they (BJP) who stopped the project. The state government is yet to go ahead with the construction work despite the Center giving permission for the construction of the houses.