Alape near Padil was deemed the best “choice” for the construction of the new office of the Deputy Commissioner here on Saturday.
During a review meeting of developmental projects for the city, the Mangalore Urban Development Authority presented B. Ramanath Rai, district in-charge and Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment, with two viable options: 10-acre plot at Alape which was allotted to the Karnataka Forest Development Corporation and 40-acre quarters complex at Bondel that houses government officials.
MUDA Commissioner Mohammad Nazeer said a few old quarters needed to be destroyed at Bondel for a connecting road to the airport to be made; while, the proximity to the Mangalore Junction Railway station provides infrastructural advantage to the Alape plot.
Both sites also have enough land to house the 3.35-acre proposed Rangamandira.
The slideshow presented showed the new DC office to be tiled roofed, with pillars and arches — resembling a mansion found typically in the coastal district.
After discussing the pros and cons of the sites, Mr. Rai said Alape was “best suited” to house the DC complex. “Alape will also be convenient for those coming from Bantwal, Belthangady, Puttur and Sullia, for they do not have to travel through the city,” he said, and added that a meeting will be called with the Managing Director of the KFDC to discuss the handover of land.
Officials said the current site for the long-pending Ambedkar Bhavan, proposed to come up on 1.76 acres at Urva, was legally untenable as the site had been declared as a “park zone”.
Acknowledging that leaders of Dalit organisations will resist the move to select an alternative site, Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim directed the Social Welfare Department to arrange a meeting in Bangalore between the Dalit leaders and Urban Development organisation to convince them.
Bus StandOn another stalled project, the 7-acre bus stand near Pumpwell Circle, Mangalore City Corporation Commissioner Ajith Kumar Hegde S., said the tenders were being called to design the new bus stand. The meeting resolved to ask for design ideas from and choose the best among them.
‘Unusable fish market’At a meeting held earlier, MLA J.R. Lobo slammed the MCC for constructing an “unusable” fish market in Jeppu. The Rs. 93-lakh building, which took four years for completion, is blighted with small cubicles, narrow staircases and the ground floor was “unscientifically” built around six feet over the ground.
Calling it a waste of money, he demanded an inquiry into the matter.
Concurring with the MLA, Mr. Ibrahim said: “The building cannot be used as a fish market. It can be converted for another use.”
