Mangalore :  Mayor Mahabala Marla has sought a report from the concerned authorities on the fraudulent practices followed by private security agency in Mangalore. This follows a complaint by Hosabettu Corporator Prathibha Kulai.

The Mayor has directed to submit a report following a reality check within three days. Speaking at the Council meeting on Wednesday, Prathibha Kulai came out with the figures to prove the point.

She said that the private security agency which has been entrusted with the responsibility of appointing and managing security guards to various properties of the MCC, was submitting wrong information to the Corporation and getting paid.

According to the claims made by the agency, it has recruited 12 security personnel in Kulai and Surathkal ward, but in reality, only seven personnel have been appointed.

The total number of security personnel appointed in the crematorium, old and new Surathkal market and City Corporation’s Surathkal branch was not in tandem with the agency’s claims. The agency is deceiving the Corporation and swindling the money, she said.

Another neighbouring corporator too echoed her views and said there was an instance of the agency getting monetary claims for a security man, though the post is vacant since eight months.

MCC in-Charge Commissioner Gokuldas Nayak said that the security contract has been given to Premier Security Services for hiring and maintaining 90 security personnel in Corporation limits. “The MCC pays the agency based on the certification given by lower level officers,” he said.

The Mayor ordered case workers to look into the allegation and submit a report within three days.

To a query on eviction and rehabilitation of street vendors, the Mayor said that the Corporation has already identified street vendors in the city and prepared a list. “The rehabilitation will be taken up as per the Supreme Court order. Only those vendors who fall under the concept of “street vendors” according to the SC guidelines, will be considered for rehabilitation,” he said.

He criticised the street vendors of occupying public places like footpath, thereby causing inconvenience to public. “We can not heed to the demands of street vendors of granting them a place for vending according to their convenience, but they should shift their business to place that the MCC suggests,” Marla said.

When the agenda on formation of ward committees appeared before the council, no concrete decision was taken on it. Rather, the Mayor appointed a three-member committee to study the implementation of ward committees.

The committee led by Corporator Lancy Lot Pinto, with Vinay Raj and Naveen Chandra as its members, was asked to study the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 2011 Amendment and implementation of ward committees in other parts of the country. A workshop too will be conducted for the corporators within a month, he said.