J.R. Lobo, former Mangaluru South MLA, has accused his successor D. Vedavyasa Kamath of supporting a group of environmentalists whose petition to the Forest Department has led to the stalling of work on the urban poor housing project at Padavu in Shaktinagar near here.
Talking to reporters here on Wednesday, Mr. Lobo said he worked tirelessly to get the approval of the State and the Union governments for building 930 flats for the urban poor at a cost of ₹69.5 crore in the nine-acre government land in 2017.
“Having completed 75% of the work and after calling for tenders, environment groups raised objection that made the department keep on hold its permission to clear trees in the nine-acre deemed forest area.
The environmentalists raised objections at the instance of Mr. Kamath,” he said. Mr. Lobo said the project has been stalled since July 2018 and Mr. Kamath, who heads the taluk-level Ashraya Samiti, has not made any effort so far to get the project moving.
Mr. Lobo alleged that Mr. Kamath falsely blamed him during a review meeting, chaired by Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, recently.
Denying the charges, Mr. Kamath told The Hindu that he was making efforts to set right the faults in implementing the project.
He said the law clearly stated that the government land, where there are more than 50 trees, becomes a deemed forest.
‘Without clearance’
“Despite knowing this fact, Mr. Lobo, who has served in various positions as a government servant, went ahead with the project in the deemed forest area without getting necessary clearance.”
When the issue about the project came up for discussion during the meeting of Mr. Kateel, Mr. Kamath said he pointed the legal issue. “I did not blame Mr. Lobo but pulled up officials for the folly.”
The MLA said based on his letter, Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer has written to the Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil S. for grant of land in the name of MCC that will facilitate construction of flats.
