Electioneering for the Mangalore City Corporation council gathered momentum on Friday with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress releasing their manifestos on Friday.
The manifestos of both the parties have promised to create infrastructure, but did not spell out details.
The BJP said that it would construct flyovers to ease traffic congestion in the city without specifying where they would be built. The Congress said that it would construct road over bridge (ROB) and road under bridge (RUB) at railway crossings but did not mention the places.
If the Congress said that it would construct a flyover at Nanthoor Junction, the BJP said that it would demand the Union government to construct the flyover there. But the two National Highways No. 66 (Udupi-Kasaragod) and No. 169 (Mangalore-Moodbidri) and at the junction is under the jurisdiction of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which has to take a call on the issue.
Both the parties referred to converting tar roads to concrete roads without setting any annual or five-year target. Again, they stayed away from naming the roads that will be taken up for concreting.
Congress clarity
While most of the BJP promises are not specific, the Congress scores better in this regard.
For example the BJP said that it would construct full-fledged markets for selling meat, fish, vegetables, fruits and vegetables without mentioning how many markets would be built and where.
The Congress said that it would modernise existing markets at Urwa, Urwa Stores, Karangalpady, Kadri, Bejai, Car Street, Vamanjoor, Jeppinamogaru, Kudroli and Surathkal. It said that 20 mini markets would be built at 20 places including Katipalla, Krishnapura, Kavoor, Shakthinagara, Panjimogaru, Naguri, Padavinangady, Boloor and Mukka.
The BJP manifesto promises to build a multi-level vehicle parking facility in the city without mentioning the place but the Congress said that it would be built at the central market area after demolishing the existing central market building.
The Congress said that a study centre opened and named after a noted person who had been identified with the development of Mangalore. It would distribute tablet PCs to 100 poor meritorious students pursuing degree courses.
The party said it would build swimming pools at Shakthinagar or Padil, Jeppu and Surathkal. In addition, it said, a swimming pool exclusively for girls and women would be built, but did not mention where.
Some of the other promises made by the Congress include constructing a multi-facility sports complex, launching three free ambulance facilities, building walking tracks at 10 places and constructing a Viveka Sadbhavana Bhawan after Swami Vivekananda.
If S. Suresh Kumar, Minister for Urban Development, Law and Justice released the manifesto of the BJP, Oscar Fernandes, MP, released the manifesto of the Congress.
Mr. Fernandes said the Congress would make efforts to promote Mangalore as the second Information Technology city of the State. It would make efforts to bring Mangalore under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
