In the run up to the Assembly election, the former Minister J. Krishna Palemar kick-started what is seen as a virtual campaign on Sunday to reach out to people in 10 gram panchayats under the Mangalore North Assembly Constituency represented by him.
At a function at Ulaibettu, he released a 28-page booklet, Vikasa Yatre , which carries information on the development works carried out in Ulaibettu Gram Panchayat since 2008.
Mr. Palemar said that nine more booklets on development works implemented in nine gram panchayats during the period would be released. The booklet contained a two-page feedback sheet.
People could return it to him with their opinion, suggestions on development works to be carried out in their gram panchayat with their address and phone numbers.
According to the booklet, development works estimated at Rs. 4.83 crore were taken up under Ulaibettu Gram Panchayat limits during the period. It said that the work estimated at over Rs. 130 crore were taken up under the Mangalore North Assembly Constituency during the period.
Referring to the future projects, the booklet said that an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) would be opened at Ganjimath. It said the Mangalore Government Polytechnic would be upgraded as an engineering college as the Assembly constituency covered 22 wards under Mangalore City Corporation. It listed 11 other projects to be taken up in the constituency.
The former Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda hailed it as a model.
He said that he would suggest to the party’s State unit to emulate the model in all Assembly constituencies represented by the BJP. He said the party would discuss it in the meeting of State office-bearers.
Mr. Gowda challenged the Congress to come for an open debate on development works carried out in the State during the last rule of the Congress and after the BJP came to power in the State. He challenged the Congress to arrange such debate meetings in gram panchayats.
The former Chief Minister said there should be transparency in politics. Politicians should be clean.
Mr. Gowda said after Mr. Palemar resigned from the Ministry, the implementation of development works in Dakshina Kannada had suffered slow. Mangalore MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Mangalore South MLA and Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly N. Yogish Bhat, and MLC K. Monappa Bhandary spoke.
