BJP workers staged a protest outside the Mangaluru City Corporation on Tuesday against what they alleged as the “failure” of the ruling Congress in the corporation council in repairing roads in the city.
Addressing a gathering, Premananda Shetty, former leader of the Opposition in the council, alleged that a most of the tar roads in the city had potholes which had not been filled though the city received less rain this year.
He said that many concrete roads in the city lacked footpaths and drains. The corporation had not bothered to construct them, Mr. Shetty alleged.
In a memorandum to corporation commissioner, Ravishankar Mijar, president of the Mangaluru City South Assembly unit of the party, said that bad status of roads had hit two-wheeler drivers hard. Though media had been highlighting it, the corporation had ignored it without addressing immediately.
He said that there was irregular water supply in the city. “The corporation was testing the patience of people,” Mr. Ravishakar said.
Mr. Ravishankar said that the change in solid waste management system by entrusting it to a single contractor had not made any difference as street sweeping was not being done properly and garbage was not being collected regularly. The memorandum alleged that the civic body had not taken new steps to contain malaria cases in the city.
The corporation administration was in slumber and the Mayor would have to address many issues. While staging the protest, the workers shouted slogans and demanded that Mayor Jesinta Vijaya Alfred step down.
