While representatives of senior citizens’ helpline asked the Mangaluru City Corporation to create boarding facilities for homeless elderly people, Jeppu residents questioned the delay in rejuvenation of Gujjarakere. The venue was the ‘Janaspandana’ programme organised by the district administration for Mangaluru Taluk at the Rosario auditorium here on Thursday.
District in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai, Food and Civil Supplies Minister U.T. Khader and Moodbidri MLA K. Abayachandra Jain attended it for some time.
A representative of Vishwas Trust that runs the Senior Citizens Helpline said they get many calls seeking temporary accommodation for the elderly, who are abandoned. The representative said they were helpless in fulfilling the demand as there were no places where accommodation was available. Elderly persons are denied accommodation at night shelters.
Deputy Director of Women and Child Welfare Sundara Poojary said a proposal had been sent by the previous Deputy Commissioner, A.B. Ibrahim, to the State government for construction of a building for senior citizens. They were awaiting an order, he said.
Nemu Kottari, convener of the Gujjarakere Theerta Samrakshana Samiti, questioned the delay in the rejuvenation of the old Gujjarakere. Despite spending a large amount of money since 2009, there had not been any change in the condition of the lake. He said that not much work had been done after the task of rejuvenation was assigned to the Minor Irrigation Department in February 2015. Leakage of sewage water into the lake was contaminating wells in the area, he said.
An official from the Minor Irrigation Department said they could not do any work unless the city corporation replaced the leaking underground sewage line that was contaminating the water.
Teachers from Rosario education institutions complained of problems faced by students owing to the closure of gates at the railway level crossing at Pandeshwar and Hoige Bazar. The gates usually close around 8 a.m. for nearly 30 minutes and students were reaching the school late. Ashok Bhat from Surathkal questioned National Highway Authority of India’s decision in having three toll gates in a short distance between Talapady and Padubidri. A resident of Ullal complained of dumping of construction waste by the roadside in Someshwar.
