Udupi: Parking fee in front of business outfits sparks debate at CMC

Udupi, February 28: Udupi CMC President Kiran Kumar, at the monthly meeting held here on Monday, refused to withdraw the parking fees being levied on the vehicles parked in front of the shops and business outfits.

Raising the issue Congress Councillor Jayananda alleged that the fees levied on the parked vehicles (Rs 5 for four wheelers and Rs 2 for two wheelers) were too heavy and the municipality did not provide any facility for the same.

In his reply Kiran Kumar took Jayananda to task for failing to attend the meeting convened by the Deputy Commissioner to discuss the same. “The decision has been approved by both DC and the RTO. Moreover, it brings income to the Municipality”, he said adding, “if a person is fined for parking in front of a shop, shop owner is morally responsible. Because, it is his responsibility to provide for parking facility to his customers.”

BJP Councillor MR Pai alleged the press and the media for pointing at the Municipality, for the release of waste water by the Srikrishna Temple to the open drain. “Media blames the Udupi CMC for the leakage of filthy water from the Nittur waste water recycling plant, to the Kalmadi river and for the non functioning of street lights on the Udupi-Kalsanka- Kadiyali road. Another BJP councilor Shyamprasad Kudwa supported him.

Kiran Kumar said that the ongoing works of National Highway widening had caused the leakage of filthy water in to the Kalmadi river. Setting right the thing would require Rs 7 crores. A CMC delegation had met the Minister for Highways Jithin Prasad during his recent visit to Udupi and demanded the grant for the same.

At this juncture Jayananda alleged that the leakage had been there since 2-3 years.

Kiran Kumar also assured former President Dinkar Shetty, who raised the issue of release of filthy water in to the open drain by the Srikrishna Temple, of stern action and instructed the officials to serve a notice immediately.

At the meeting President Kiran Kumar threatened the contractors who have bagged the tender for the sanctioned works and did not start. He said that he would call a meeting of the contractors on Mar 3 and if they fail to reply positively, their licensees would be forfeited. Commissioner Gokuldas Nayak was present.