The former Chief Minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda claimed here on Thursday that urban local bodies have become financially sound and active after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the State.
He was addressing party workers after launching the party’s campaign for March 7 election to Mangalore City Corporation council at the Town Hall.
Mr. Gowda said that the BJP carried an image that it was pro-urban development. The party would seek votes on the basis of development work carried out by the party in urban areas.
He said that according to an estimate 38 per cent of the population in the country lived in urban areas now. It would go up to 50 per cent by 2030. Hence, urban development assumed more importance. Mr. Gowda said people need not be apprehensive that the government led by the party would not complete its five year-term because to the recent defection by some party MLAs to other parties K. Monappa Bhandary, MLC and spokesperson of the district unit of the party, said that the BJP-led council of the corporation had concreted 75 km of tar roads in the past five years. In addition, the city had 40 km of roads with interlocking tiles now.
