Mayor Mahabala Marla said here on Monday that the corporation would not privatise the distribution of water supply.
Replying to queries by Opposition BJP members in the monthly meeting of the council, the Mayor said even if the corporation went for round-the-clock water supply in all wards, the distribution would be in the hands of the civic body.
Some BJP members opposed the corporation’s decision of giving approval for seeking the second instalment of the loan from the Asian Development Bank for creating infrastructure for water supply works, which could not be taken up under the Karnataka Urban Development and Coastal Environmental Management Project. They said the corporation should have sought special grant from the government.
When a councillor alleged that the street lights erected between Marakada and Yeyyadi were of low quality, Corporation Commissioner Ajith Kumar Hegde S. said he would order for a third party inspection of the quality of materials and the works carried out.
The BJP members stormed into the well of the House alleging that the Mayor had not convened a special meeting of the council as promised last month to discuss a hike in property tax. They returned to their seats after the Mayor promised that the issue would be discussed either in next month’s council meeting or in the special meeting to be convened before that.
Abdul Aziz M, councillor from Kudroli ward, covering his mouth with a black cloth, sat in the well of the House alleging that the Mayor was behind his [Mr. Aziz’s] arrest by the police recently in a complaint against him by town planning officials. The Mayor denied this.
The debate over the issue came to an end after it was agreed that talks would be held on the issue in the Mayor’s chamber.
