Mangaluru : Poor attendance by civil society members marked the public consultation organised by Mangaluru City Corporation for preparing the annual budget for 2021-22 here on Wednesday.

The civic body had invited civil society members to seek their suggestions before finalising the budget for the next financial year.

Pointing out at the attendance of only six persons from the general public, G. Hanumantha Kamath, president of Nagarika Hitarakshana Samithi, Mangaluru, told Mayor Diwakar that the corporation has not invited representatives of various organisations and professional bodies this time by sending them letters.

In the previous years, the civic body was sending letters to such organisations and bodies inviting them to the consultation. This year, the corporation issued only a media release which did not come to the notice of many. Hence, people have not turned up, he said.

G.K. Bhat, an activist, said that the corporation has not taken the public consultation seriously. Hence, people have also not considered it seriously. Many a suggestion given by the people in the earlier public consultations have not been incorporated in the budget. Hence, people, realising that the corporation is conducting the consultation only for name-sake, have not turned up this time, he said.

Mr. Bhat said that the corporation authorities should ensure that it did not recur.

The Mayor said that between 40 and 50 people from civil society had turned up for the first public consultation conducted by the corporation in Surathkal a few days ago. When the Mayor questioned an official why letters had not been sent to civic organisations and bodies this year, the official replied that he had called up such organisations over phone. When Mr. Diwakar wanted to know the number of people to whom telephone calls had been made, the official replied that three people had been telephoned.

In addition to the Mayor, Deputy Mayor Janaki alias Vedavathi, whip in the council Premananda Shetty and Kiran Kumar, chairman, Standing Committee on Taxation, Finance and Appeal; Jagadeesh Shetty, chairman, Standing Committee on Accounts; councillors Sudhir Shetty Kanuur and Varun Chowta, Commissioner Akshy Sridhar, Deputy Commissioner (administration) G. Santosh Kumar and some officials were present.