Karnataka State Urban Development Minister H.C. Balakrishna on Monday expressed strong displeasure over the unfinished Kundapura town underground drainage project, convening a review meeting at Dr. V.S. Acharya Hall in Kundapura. The gathering included officials from the Bangalore Urban Development Department, Rural Development Directorate, district administration, and the town municipality.
The drainage network, whose construction began in 2015 with a target completion date of 2021, remains incomplete after eleven years. Local residents continue to face inconvenience as the unfinished works hamper sanitation and traffic flow within the municipal limits.
State authorities had approved a revised outlay of Rs 56.54 crore for the scheme. Over the past decade, progress stalled due to delays in land acquisition, pending CRZ clearances, and contractors refusing to work at the original tender rates. Officials reported that an additional Rs 46 crore is required to finish the project, including Rs 15 crore earmarked for a sewage treatment plant. Of the Rs 41.83 crore already released, Rs 13.63 crore is available as grant assistance, and a revised estimate of Rs 46.81 crore has been submitted for administrative approval.
Minister Balakrishna warned that officials responsible for the setbacks, including the former chief engineer, must face disciplinary action. He tasked Assistant Commissioner Rashmi S.R. of Kundapura subdivision to compile a comprehensive report detailing the causes of delay, the officials involved, and the exact funding needed. The report will be presented in a separate Bangalore meeting where a final decision on the project’s continuation will be taken.
During the session, municipal representatives also raised concerns about water supply, cleanliness, street lighting, and housing for permanent municipal workers. Balakrishna directed the allocation of two acres of city land for constructing quarters for these workers and urged local bodies to meet tax‑collection targets and improve civic amenities promptly.
Image: varthabharati.in
📰 Source: Vartha Bharati Udupi