Residents of the Kadri area are irate over a proposed green zone that allegedly denies them permission to develop their land.
Leader of the Opposition in the Mangalore City Corporation Council D.K. Ashok said that 126 acres of land had been identified to be included in the green zone for protection of certain areas in Kadri such as Kadri temple, Kadri Park, and the Pandava caves.
He said that this area also included 650 houses in Kadri Kaibattalu, Kadri Mundana and near the Kadri temple.
Mr. Ashok claimed that this proposal was not included in the revised Comprehensive Development Plan for the city. If the proposed zone was approved, residents of the Kadri area would not be able to take up any construction work on their land. Owners of 40 sites in Kadri were not being given permission for construction work, he said.
Mangalore Urban Development Authority Commissioner M.K. Gadkar said the proposal for the green zone was part of the Comprehensive Development Plan. Certain areas had been set aside for protection of greenery under the Comprehensive Development Plan, he said.
He denied the charge that residents would not be allowed to develop their land. The “no-development” rule would not apply to existing residential property. There would also be no ban on selling private land. The green zone would cover all areas, excluding existing residential property, he said.
On permissions pending with the city corporation, he said that according to the Comprehensive Development Plan, the corporation could not give permission to begin construction until MUDA gave single layout permission (to ensure set back specifications were complied with).
However, following discussion with the Deputy Commissioner, permissions had been given to several people, he said.
Revenue Inspector Rukmaya Moily said around 60 acres of land in Kadri Gudde and the land near the Kadri temple had been included in the Comprehensive Development Plan as an agricultural zone, where no development will take place.
