Mangaluru: U.T. Khader, Minister for Urban Development and Housing, said here on Wednesday that there was a need to develop Kadri Park road as a smart road.

Speaking at a function organised by Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) to launch 27 new development projects and inaugurate 13 completed projects in the city, he asked the corporation to complete the projects in time while ensuring quality.

In an indirect reference to protests by a section of the community against the government transferring the Revenue Officer of the corporation to Kalaburgi and the social media campaign to cancel his transfer, Mr. Khader said that no government office depended on a single official for efficient functioning. All officials are capable of delivering good work. “An official is an official. Don’t look at his caste. Don’t come for any influence (to get the transfer cancelled),” the Minister said.

Mr. Khader asked those officials who had put in more than 10 years of service in a corporation to be ready for transfer if they did not deliver good work.

The 27 projects launched on Wednesday comprised those under Smart City Mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), 14th Finance Scheme, Nagarottana Scheme and from the funds collected under premium floor area ratio (FAR) by the corporation.

The new projects comprised building 22 bus shelters under the Smart City Mission in two phases. The project of setting up the command centre under the same was also launched.
According to Mohammed Nazir, MD, Mangaluru Smart City Ltd., it would have facilities of CCTV camera surveillance of the city, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), control system to monitor water supply, leakage from Thumbe to storage tanks (source to storage), tracking of GPS-fitted vehicles used in solid waste management, smart pole and the like.
The town hall was also renamed after social reformer Kudmul Ranga Rao on the day.

Even before the contractor for constructing a multi-level car parking facility at Hampankatta under the Smart City Mission has been selected, U.T. Khader, Minister for Urban Development and Housing, ‘laid the foundation’ for its construction at a function in the Kudmul Ranga Rao Town Hall here on Wednesday.

According to Mohammed Nazir, Commissioner, Mangaluru City Corporation and MD, Mangaluru Smart City Ltd., no one applied to take up the project in the bid called for the first time. Hence, the company has called the bids for the second time. They would be opened on August 31. The contractor will have to be selected later. The company has proposed to take up the project at an estimated cost of ₹90 crore.