Mangaluru: National Green Tribunal (NGT), Chennai, has deferred the hearing over the proposed deputy commissioner’s office complex at Padil to October 3.

Deputy Commissioner Dr K G Jagadeesha told, “The NGT bench that met on September 16 has postponed the case to next month (on October 3).”

The project remains in limbo owing to disparate greens who have been crying hoarse ever since the project was conceived. As the existing deputy commissioner’s office building near the State Bank junction is proving too small to cater to the increasing number of visitors, the Dakshina Kannada district administration has prepared a plan to build the complex on an area of 16 acres at the cost of Rs 41 crore. It will house 38 offices under one roof.

Recently, during a progress review meeting at the office, chaired by Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa, Deputy Commissioner Jagadeesha had apprised the minister about six projects, including deputy commissioner’s office complex, planned in the district. While the work on the Mini Vidhana Soudha planned in Mangaluru city is taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 7.50 crore, the offices in Puttur at Rs 7.99 crore and in Sullia at Rs two crore have been completed and already functioning. Similar projects at Bantwal and Belthangady, planned at costs of Rs 10 crore and Rs five crore respectively, are underway. The lone work in the list of projects presented before the minister that was yet to take off was the DC’s office complex, as mentioned.

Recently, the Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology B Ramanath Rai was irked due to frequent power cuts, while presiding over the progress review meeting on the works related to his constituency (Bantwal). He asked the deputy commissioner about the status of the afore mentioned project.

Environmentalists, however, are concerned over the felling of 356 trees identified for the purpose, including acacia, teak and bamboo trees. Following this, it had directed the district administration to get a much-required clearance from the Forest Department. Later, a team of officials attached to Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had also inspected the site identified for the project.