Heated exchange at Mangaluru City Corporation meeting over housing sites
In a confrontational General Body Meeting of the Mangaluru City Corporation on Wednesday, Opposition Leader Praveen Chandra Alva raised concerns about the alleged lack of distribution of housing sites to applicants during his six-year membership.
Alva directed his criticism towards local legislators, accusing them of inaction in ensuring the provision of housing sites, sparking a heated exchange with ruling party members.
Alva's contention centered on the apparent discrepancy between the distribution of title deeds to 900 beneficiaries six years ago and the absence of actual housing sites for applicants. Members of the ruling party, including Jagadish Shetty and Shakeela Kava, vehemently rebutted Alva's claims, attributing the delay in site allocation to errors made by a former MLA from Alva's party.
Chief Whip Premananda Shetty accused Alva of attempting to politicize the housing issue, emphasizing that the matter falls outside the administrative purview of the Mayor. He contended that the delay was a consequence of the former MLA's distribution of title deeds without prior permission, coinciding with election-related activities.
Amidst the verbal sparring, Corporation Commissioner Anand intervened to provide information on the progress of ongoing housing projects. He detailed the construction of residential complexes in various locations, specifying the number of houses allocated to beneficiaries from different categories.
Mayor Sudhir Shetty Kannur, addressing concerns raised by Alva regarding irregularities in the sewage treatment plant (STP), informed the assembly that he had personally inspected the plant. He clarified that funds amounting to Rs 80 lakh had been allocated for the Bajal Stepwell project under the 15th Finance Commission, scheduled to commence operations within a week. Shetty highlighted similar projects at Jalligudda and Kadekar.
The Mayor also addressed issues related to traffic congestion, the dengue outbreak, and water shortages in the city. Shetty assured the assembly that Rs 40 crore would be granted for sewage treatment projects, and a Detailed Project Report (DPR) would be submitted to the government.
Opposition Leader Alva urged the Mayor to establish a committee for the management of underground drainage, akin to water supply systems.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
