With rainy season not far away, Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC), managed by an administrator, is not fully prepared to face monsoon as desilting of storm-water drains has not yet been completed fully, Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyas Kamath alleged on Thursday.

Addressing presspersons, the MLA said that the civic body is yet to invite bids for deploying gangmen in all 60 wards to attend to emergencies during monsoon.

“It reflects the administrative failure and neglect of the corporation,” Mr. Kamath said.

The MLA said that the corporation has not completed the dredging of ‘raja kaluves’ and de-silting of storm-water drains at the expected level. It is not withstanding instructions given several times to prepare well ahead of monsoon to prevent artificial floods.

The corporation has taken up the dredging and de-silting only for the namesake, the MLA alleged.

He said in several locations where earth movers can not enter the corporations has not de-silted the drains. It will only result in artificial floods during monsoon.

The MLA said that the corporation should take all precautions to prevent collapse of retaining walls during monsoon.

Mr. Kamath accused Dinesh Gundu Rao, Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada, not holding any consultations and meetings with elected representatives regarding preparations to be made to face the monsoon.

No pension

The MLA said that the State government has withheld various pensions to the eligible persons since past three months. Senior citizens have not got several social security pensions, including old age and widow pensions, since three months.

While many are waiting for pensions, the government is busy celebrating its three-year administration, Mr. Kamath said.

It appears that the treasury of the government is empty due to maladministration. The government should release the pensions immediately, the MLA said.

Mr. Kamath said that the Congress is taking credit for building Karnataka German Technical Training Institute (KGTTI) building at Kadri Hills at a cost of ₹20.85 crore. But the then BJP government had sanctioned the building by allotting two acres of land for it in 2019. The BJP government sanctioned ₹15.23 crore for the building in 2021 and later revised the estimate to ₹20.85 crore in 2022 and sanctioned the amount, he said.

The then Minister for Higher Education and IT Ashwath Narayan had laid the foundation stone for the building on December 16, 2022, the MLA said.