Mangaluru, (The Hindu): Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyas Kamath has appealed to the Chief Minister to sanction Rs 20 crore for building an underpass at the Mahakalipadpu railway level crossing in the city.

In a memorandum, he said that the Railways has approved the general arrangement drawing of the project proposal. The Rs 20-crore would be the State government’s share for the project. If it sanctioned the fund, the project could be taken further, he said.

The MLA said that of the 1,725 sanctioned posts in Mangaluru City Corporation 1,084 are vacant. It had come in the way of effective functioning of the corporation and delivery of services to people. Hence, the government should take steps to fill the vacant posts.

He said that the city required Rs 50 crore for repairing the infrastructure facilities damaged in heavy rain, especially the one which lashed during the end of May and in June. The loss has been estimated at Rs 50 core. Money is required to fill potholes on roads in the city.

The MLA said that mechanised fishing boat owners should be given subsidised kerosene through the Department of Food and Civil Supplies as earlier and not through the Department of Fisheries as it being done now. It is because the government has reduced the grant to the Department of Fisheries which, the MLA said, has come in the way of ensuring sufficient supply of kerosene to fishermen.

Referring to the Smart City mission, Mr. Kamath said that the government should appoint a full-time managing director to Mangaluru Smart City Pvt. Ltd. for implementing the projects under the mission. Now, the Commissioner of Mangaluru City Corporation also acted as the managing director of the company. He said that the company, which is a special purpose vehicle, has not been constituted fully. The MLA said that people have been complaining about the quality of projects taken up under the mission.

He said that Povamma should be given Rs 1 crore for winning the gold in the relay team event at the Asian Games.

The MLA said that there is a need to increase the number of beds in the intensive care unit at the Government Wenlock Hospital from 12 to 100.