Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Minister U.T. Khader on Monday asked MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and other BJP MLAs who are opposing the proposed modernisation of the Kudroli abattoir under the Smart City Project to approach the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and get it cancelled.

Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Khader said that he had proposed to the Mangalore Smart City Project Ltd., a Special Purpose Vehicle, to take up the abattoir modernisation project with an intention to have a hygienic and clean environment for animal slaughter at Kudroli, the only authorised one in Mangaluru.

“The sole intention behind this suggestion was to have a better system for disposing of animal waste. Lack of such a system is affecting people and also polluting our waters,” he said.

The board of Mangalore Smart City Limited, which includes Mayor Bhaskar K. and six councillors of the Mangaluru City Corporation, discussed his suggestion and proposed the ₹ 15-crore project for having, among others, a solid waste treatment plant and other facilities at the abattoir.

“Except for opposition for grants for a park, there was no opposition in the board, which includes councillors from the Bharatiya Janata Party, to other proposals, including the one for the abattoir,” he said.

The proposal was now before the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for approval.

“If they are really serious, let Mr. Kateel and BJP MLAs write to the Union Ministry and get the proposal rejected,” Mr. Khader said and accused them of unnecessarily politicising the issue. They have so far not written to him or members of the board on this issue.

In a statement issued here, Mr. Kateel said that the Mangaluru Smart City Project was not being implemented by the Special Purpose Vehicle in the manner intended by the Union Government. Accusing Mr. Khader of forcing the Special Purpose Vehicle to propose modernisation of abattoir at an exorbitant cost, Mr. Kateel said that the State government was misusing funds allocated under the Smart City Project.

He has expressed the need for a full-time managing director for the Mangaluru Special Purpose Vehicle and creation of an advisory committee for the Special Purpose Vehicle to prevent misuse of funds.

Manglauru City South and North MLAs D. Vedavyas Kamath and Y. Bharath Shetty and Karkala MLA Sunil Kumar have opposed the proposed modernisation of the abattoir.