Mangaluru: The Council of the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC), at a special meeting on Monday, approved the creation of three zones in the civic body for effective administration. The zonal offices will start functioning from October 15.

The offices of zones 2 and 3 will function from MCC headquarters at Lalbagh instead of Kadri sub office that was designated for zone 3. The zonal headquarter designated for the zone 1 is in Surathkal. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Mayor K Harinath. As per the cadre and recruitment rules for staff of city corporations, which came into effect in 2011-12, corporations should form zones for better administration.

Corporator Bhaskar Moily said the move is good, but the shortage of staff in the MCC needs to be looked into before taking the proposal forward. Corporators Mahabala Marla, Kavitha Sanil, Mohammed K, Deepak Poojary said that for the convenience of the people, the office of zones 2 and 3 should function from the Lalbagh headquarters. If the office of zone 2 is designated at Kadri, people from some wards will have to take two to three buses to reach Kadri. Also, the Kadri office lacks basic facilities and parking space, they said.

Sudheer Shetty and Roopa D Bangera asked, “The proposal has been pending for several years. What services would be available for the general public in these zonal offices?”

Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer said that until three zonal officers are appointed, the development officers will act as in-charge zonal officers. The zonal offices will distribute birth and death certificates within the time frame, issue licence, completion certificates for the residential complexes that are within 500 square meter area, issue of notices to violators under violation of KMC Act 1976 Section 321 (1), (2) and (3).

The zonal office will also register/transfer the khata of property upto Rs 50 lakh value, issue door numbers to buildings within 1,500 sq ft, initiate measures to remove illegal hoardings, issue trade licences to units of 200 sq ft area and renew trade licences among others. “It is left to the discretion of the commissioner to delegate the power to zonal officers,” said the commissioner.