Mangaluru : A meeting convened by District In-charge Minister B Ramanath Rai decided to invite an expression of interest under public-private-partnership (PPP) model at national-level for building a private bus stand at Pumpwell.

The meeting also decided to ask the Karnataka Housing Board to prepare a concept plan under PPP model and submit the report. The meeting arrived upon a decision that the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) should specify its requirements in clear terms to enable them to prepare the plan. The meeting decided to invite expression of interest within 15 days. The bidders will be given 60 days to submit their proposals.

MLA J R Lobo said the bus stand should provide space for parking at least 160 buses and light motor vehicles.

Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim said the expression of interest should be invited within June 10. The proposed bus stand should have parking facilities for light vehicles as well, he added.

Earlier, the MCC had asked the Infrastructure Development Corporation (Karnataka) Ltd (iDeCK) to prepare a concept plan. A consultant of the MCC said that iDeCK had submitted the plan considering 4.5 acre land. Accordingly, only 66 buses can be parked in the bus stand.

The minister said that a 7.50-feet tall Nehru statue will be installed at Nehru Maidan.
Objecting to it, opposition leader of Council in the MCC Roopa D Bangera said, “We have respect towards Nehru. But when already there is a statue of Nehru in front of the Town Hall and Corporation Bank in Mangaluru, what is the need to install another statue at Nehru Maidan?” she asked and walked out of the meeting hall along with Deputy Mayor Sumithra Kariya. Reacting to it, Rai asked what was wrong in installing Nehru’s statue.