BENGALURU: Mayor Manjunath Reddy on Tuesday said that a CID probe will be ordered into alleged misappropriation of funds meant for procuring anti-rabies vaccination.
Byrasandra ward corporator N. Nagaraju and a few BJP corporators alleged that funds under the National Urban Health Mission have been diverted to buy furniture. They demanded that the misappropriation should be probed and the guilty punished.
The case of alleged misappropriation has been handed over to the Technical Vigilance Cell under Commissioner (TVCC), and the report is yet to be submitted. “After getting the report, we will hand over the alleged scam to the CID,” he said.
As there has been a surge in dog bites across the city, crores of rupees had been earmarked under NUHM. The alleged diversion came to light when a pharmacist approached the court demanding his dues from the BBMP.
Attiguppe ward corporator Dr S. Raju demanded that a report on the structural stability of all flyovers should be prepared to instill confidence among commuters that these structures are safe.
At the council meeting on Tuesday Mr Raju said that after the collapse of an under-construction flyover in Kolkatta, there is a need to study the flyovers, road under brides and road over bridge as they have not been maintained properly.
Flyovers are designed for continuous movement of vehicles. But, on most occasions, vehicles pile up on flyovers, weakening the shelf life of flyovers. The BBMP should write a letter to the traffic police to ensure that vehicles do not pile up on flyovers, he said.
On many occasions, dry leaves and waste block water outlets on the flyovers during the rainy season. This results in water stagnation and seepage, weakening the structure. Peepal tree and other plants too grow on most flyovers and with the roots going deeper the structure will be at risk, he cautioned.
MPC: Experts yet to be selected
Although the first ever Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC) is slated to meet on Wednesday, the committee is not full fledged as non-elected members or experts from various walks of life have not been selected.
The meeting is expected to usher positive initiative for comprehensive growth and development of the city and panacea for problems dogging the city.
Urban expert Ashwin Mahesh told Deccan Chronicle that since the committee was not full-fledged yet, the meeting is nothing but an eye wash. The way things are unfolding is an indication that the government is no mood to adhere to 74th amendment to the constitution.
Following the direction from the High Court, the committee has been formed, but full fledged members have not been appointed, he said. “Mostly, the agenda of today’s meeting is to finalise on setting up office, required staff and budgetary allocation for the committee. The role of MPC should have been clearly defined before holding the meeting,” said Mahesh.
CIVIC Executive Trustee Katyayini Chamaraj said the ward committees and ward sabhas must be formed and they should decide what projects or infrastructure their areas require.
The essence of MPC is bottom top approach and it should be respected. But in the present set up, where the ward sabha and ward committee have not been formed, we now have top to bottom approach, she added.
