Mayor B.L. Bhyrappa walked out of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) meeting on Thursday after Congress councillors staged a dharna demanding the Council’s immediate approval for development works to be taken up using the Rs. 25.5 crore grants sanctioned by the 14th State Finance Commission.
Mr. Bhyrappa, who even threatened to resign, took serious objection to the persistent demand by the Congress councillors for approving the works without any delay.
The councillors were in no mood to abide by the Mayor’s suggestion to review the proposed works listed by the MCC’s Standing Committing on Town Planning and Improvement, and give the approval at a meeting on August 4.
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Earlier, when the Council met, the issue relating to approving the development works listed under nine categories — drinking water, public toilets, underground drainage, solid waste management, storm-water drain, parks, roads and pavements, streetlights and burial grounds came up for discussion.
A few councillors cutting across party lines, including the former Mayor R. Lingappa, Mahadevappa, Nataraj and Kempanna found fault in the allocation of works for different wards. They alleged that there was discrimination in distribution of funds for various wards. The councillors alleged that a few wards had received high allocation while a few wards were made to suffer.
Similiarly, a few councillors alleged that the Standing Committee on Town Planning and Improvement had not taken them into confidence before finalising works in their wards. A few councillors said there was no need for toilets or UGD works in their wards, yet the committee had finalised such projects for their wards.
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Hence, Mr. Bhyrappa adjourned the meeting for half an hour. When the Council met again, former Mayors Ayub Khan of the Congress and Sandesh Swamy of the JD(S), besides Leader of the Congress in the MCC, Jagadish, sought to prevail upon the Mayor to approve the works without any delay. The small changes that were necessary can be carried out in consultation with the MCC Commissioner and other officials after the approval, they said.
When the Mayor favoured putting off the approval till August 4, the Congress councillors trooped into the well of the House, where there was an exchange of words with the Mayor.
The Mayor then walked out of the House with Deputy Mayor G.H. Vanitha Prasanna and MCC Commissioner C.G. Betsurmath in tow.