MCC swings into action after VB's report on Smart City, Gail India work posing threat to motorists
Dangerous potholes, excavated spots temporarily fixed
Mangaluru: A day after Vartha Bharati carried a story on the poor safety measures in place on roads in the city due to construction work of smart city and GAIL India’s Pipeline installation, Mangaluru City Corporation authorities swung into action on Thursday and set in motion a drive to fix potholes causing inconveniences to the general public.
On Wednesday, Vartha Bharati carried the story showing snapshots of dangerous potholes and excavated sites left uncovered, posing threat to the motorists in the city. It was also revealed that the construction was undertaken by the Smart City project and some of the dangerously excavated and uncovered sites were that of GAIL India Pipeline installation work.
The story was duly brought to the notice of authorities including MCC Commissioner Akshy Sridhar and Mangaluru Smart City works’ General Manager Arun Prabha KS.
Both Akshy and Arun had assured Vartha Bharati of looking into the matter and initiating action in this regard.
On Thursday, MCC Commissioner Akshy shared images with Vartha Bharati showing MCC workers fixing potholes at Balmatta Junction, an area particularly highlighted in VB’s story. The images showed MCC workers fixing the road in the early hours of Thursday.
The potholes at Balmatta Junction have been fixed temporarily with concrete and mud, at Jyothi circle, a dangerous pit has been filled with concrete. The excavated spot at Bendorewell has been temporarily fixed after being filled with mud. All of these spots were highlighted in VB’s story.
Earlier, on Wednesday, Akshy had said “Action will definitely be initiated against the concerned agency/contractor,” after the matter was brought to his notice.
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Karnataka releases Rs 300 cr aid for sugarcane growers, Rs 50 per tonne to be credited directly
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has released Rs 300 crore as financial assistance to sugarcane growers for the 2025-26 season, with Rs 50 per tonne to be credited directly to farmers who supplied cane to sugar factories across the state, Minister Shivanand Patil said on Wednesday.
The assistance forms part of the state's commitment to provide Rs 100 per tonne over and above the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), with the burden to be shared equally between the government and sugar factories, he added.
"As announced by the state government, Rs 300 crore has been released as financial assistance of Rs 50 per tonne to farmers who supplied sugarcane to sugar factories in the state during the 2025-26 season," Patil, who holds Sugarcane Development, Sugar, Textiles and Agricultural Marketing said in a statement.
The minister recalled that at a meeting of sugar factory owners and sugarcane growers convened by the chief minister at Vidhana Soudha on November 8 last year, a decision was taken to provide Rs 100 per tonne over and above FRP.
"It was decided that of the Rs 100 assistance, the state government would bear Rs 50 and the sugar factories would contribute Rs 50," Patil said, adding that the government has now released its share of Rs 300 crore in accordance with the decision.
Based on proposals submitted by sugar factories, the Sugarcane Development Commissioner will release the funds to the Deputy Commissioners. Directions have been issued to ensure that Rs 50 per tonne is directly credited into the bank accounts of farmers, based on the quantity of cane supplied, he said.
Similarly, the Deputy Commissioners have been instructed to ensure that sugar factory managements provide their share of Rs 50 per tonne to eligible farmers, Patil explained.
Providing details of the ongoing crushing season, the minister said, "So far, 521 lakh metric tonne of sugarcane have been crushed, and about 600 lakh metric tonne are expected to be crushed during the season."
During the 2025-26 season, 81 sugar factories have undertaken crushing operations, of which 29 have completed the process, he added.
According to him, the crushing season is expected to conclude by the first week of March, and the financial assistance has been calculated based on the estimated crushing of 600 lakh metric tonne, the minister added.
