Protest against anti-people policy: Hundreds lay siege to MCC

Mangalore, August 27: Hundreds of Mangaloreans led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday laid siege to Mangalore City Corporation alleging that the civic body followed anti-people policies.

The protesters who took out separate rallies from Kankanady, State Bank, Nanthoor, Yeyyadi, and Urwa Stores in the morning gathered in front of the MCC building at around 11:30 a.m.

Flagging off the dharna, B. Madhav, CPI (M) district secretary, said that even though many roads in the city had been concretised for quite some time, there were still no footpaths for pedestrians to walk on. In the name of concretisation, huge amount of money that had been allotted for the construction of footpaths in the city has been gobbled by corrupt BJP leaders and MCC corporators. The new buildings being constructed in the city do not consist of parking facilities. People are further fleeced by having to use the pay-parking facility on roadsides. The MCC has become incompetent, and people of Mangalore suffer because of it. The silence of the people increases their inefficiency, he said.

Vasanth Achari, District Secretary of CPI (M), lashed out at the Mangalore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) for its various taxes. Even the self-assessment property tax has been increased. It is currently three to four times higher than it was before, whereas BJP had promised to remove the tax system. The ruling party is robbing the people of their hard-earned money, he said.

Terming the ruling BJP as uncivilized, he said that they dictated the civic body. The Congress too does not make it simpler as it is hand-in-hand with the corrupt BJP administration. Both the parties are two sides of the same coin who are only bothered about making profit than solving the problems of the citizens. 65 per cent of the people within the Corporation limits are poor. While the prices of all the commodities have been hiked, how the common man can survive, he questioned.

Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the protest, Sunil Kumar Bajal, CPI (M) leader, said that the MCC had been inconsistent in its administration. Roads in the city were concretised without the construction of drainages. There is no drainage system in the city. With heavy rains, sewage water overflows on the streets, thereby leading to rise in contagious diseases like malaria, dengue and chikungunya in the city. There have been no proper measures implemented by the Corporation. Even the assured door-to-door collection of waste disposal has not been done so far, and garbage can be seen littered on the roads due to irregular collection of garbage bins in the city. In the name of the city's beautification, vast amount of sum is being pocketed by the corrupt corporators. The Corporation has to address our demands and take action, he said.

Another CPI (M) leader Krishnappa Konchady said that the Congress party was a mute spectators against the injustice meted out to people. It does not take any action against the prevalent corruption in the system. The atrocities being committed by MCC corporators on Dalits was proof of their bad governance, he said, referring to the BJP.

Muneer Katipalla, Dakshina Kannada District President of DYFI also spoke.