Arbitrary transfers hindering completion of projects: Mangaluru Corporation Mayor
Mangaluru (PTI): Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) councillors, cutting across party lines, have demanded a fair, transparent, and speedy implementation of switching to an LED street light system under the smart city project that is underway.
The council witnessed pandemonium on this issue twice during the first hour of the council meeting on Thursday.
Raising the issue, the opposition (Congress) member Vinayraj of Court Ward said: “The smart city project is going on for five years and by this time the LED street light component should have been completed by the MCC. Meanwhile, three companies that had bid for the project, including Crompton, have been kept on tenterhooks by the MCC. What is causing the delay and why? City Corporation has been kept in the dark about this."
He alleged that the Corporation might be playing a trick on the people of Mangaluru by delaying the project and also keeping the information a secret.
Vinayraj said Mayor Sudheer Shetty Kannur is inefficient, as he was not able to control the officials.
Objecting to his comments, ruling BJP members stood up and shouted against Vinayraj and other councillors from the Congress party.
Meanwhile, Mayor Shetty alleged that the Congress-ruled state government was transferring officials from MCC.
“Thanks to these erratic transfers, the MCC is now down to 30 per cent of the workforce. We do not have dedicated staff for the management of the electrical system in the city,” he added.
According to a senior official of the MCC, the Corporation will save not less than 50 per cent power consumption, if the entire city's 65,000 street light points are energised with LED lamps.
He said 12,000 LED lights have already been purchased and another company called Fiza-Forum Enterprises has been mandated with the project and has placed orders for 50,000 units of LED lamp. If all modalities are over, all 65,000 street light points could be energised with LED lamps by November, he noted.
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Elephant calf brought from Bijnor kept under care at Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
Pilibhit (PTI): A 19-day-old elephant calf, brought from Bijnor, was placed under care at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) on Sunday, an official said and added that the calf got separated from its mother in the forest area of Bijnor.
The calf was born on December 2 in the Bijnor forest area and got separated from its mother shortly after birth, the official said.
The forest department made several attempts to reunite it with its mother, but without any success. To ensure the calf's safety and better care, it was decided to transfer it to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve on the instructions of senior officials.
On Saturday, Deputy Director Manish Singh received the calf. Special arrangements have been made in the reserve for its care. It has been kept in a safe and clean environment to provide it with a natural setting and protect it from external noise and disturbances.
Singh told reporters that raising an 19-day-old calf is challenging.
It requires a special diet as a substitute for mother's milk and constant monitoring.
He said a special team has been formed to provide 24-hour care. Since the calf is very young, it is being cared for like a newborn baby.
According to Singh, the primary responsibility for monitoring the calf's health has been entrusted to PTR's veterinarian, Dr Daksh Gangwar. Under his supervision, a complete record of the calf's health checkups, diet, and body temperature is being maintained. The team is ensuring that the calf does not contract any infection.
