Mangalore : Former MLA Vijaykumar Shetty said that according to the Karnataka state rural and urban planning act, the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) and the Master plan in the city must be changed once in ten years, but after the BJP government came in power, the MCC without holding any public meeting has changed the plan three times in past two and half year.

He was speaking at the press meet held at District Congress Office on December 2, Friday. He said that according to Karnataka state rural and urban planning act, the changes can be made in Master Plan and not Zonal regulation.

He also said that according to government order the building constructed above 15 meters require permission from ‘Fire and Safety’, but the MCC made the changes in master plan to which the building constructed above 10 meters also require ‘No Objection Certificate’ from fire and safety to destroy the small builders.

Earlier there was FAR for total area site, but now the changed master plan, there is FAR only for the land after leaving the place for the road, he said.

Corporator Lance Lot Pinto said that Mangalore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) is not a commercial organization, but it is the organization working for the benefit of public. They must work as neither profit nor loss but not create problem to public.

Opposing the CDP, he said that it will create innumerable problems for the backward sections of society. Other members also alleged that the plan has been created specifically for the benefit of five to six builders. It is being framed only to benefit big builders and it will be not wrong if they say that it is controlled by them.

He also said that the Mayor has called the meeting on December 9 at MCC and after listening to it, they will go to governor to submit the memorandum to oppose the changes in new master plan.

He also said that no one can change the green belt in the city and only some changes can be brought with the permission of Government according to 14(a) Act.

Congress members like Shashidhar Hegde, TK Sudhir, Nagendra Kumar, Navin D’Souza, Dennis D’Silva, Mamatha Shenoy, Vijayalakshmi, Appi and others were present.