Mangalore : MCC Mayor Mahabala Marla said that, Mangalore city is eligible to be developed as Smart City project of the union government, since it has the population of 4,99,487 as per 2011 census.

Speaking at the meeting held on September 17, Wednesday Mayor urged State government to include Moodushedde and Bala gram panchayats to the Mangalore City Corporation.

He also said that as per the notice issues by urban development mentioning about the scheme, stated that cities with population of five lakh is eligible to be developed as Smart City and hence Mangalore city is eligible in this regard.

If the state government includes two gram panchayats situated on the periphery of the MCC limits to the Corporation, then the city can apply for the project. The MCC has already submitted a proposal on Smart City and if the cabinet passes an order the proposal will be further submitted to the Central government, he said.

Mayor said that if the government sanctions Smart City project in Mangalore, then the concept of Greater Mangalore will be strengthened.

Speaking on Railway Station, he said that Mangalore Junction Railway Station has sufficient land of 25 acre to undertake development works and it will be upgraded to a world class station on public-private partnership sector.

Recently, a high-level team of Railway officials had visited Mangalore and held discussions with the MCC and MCC has given positive reply to it.

The repair work on Town Hall has been commenced at an estimated cost of Rs 2.5 crore to mark the golden jubilee celebration this year.

The other works to be taken up at Town Hall are granite flooring on the portico, changing the seats, installation of AC, flooring, fall ceiling, repair of green room, construction of additional toilets, increasing the capacity of the generator, modernization of interiors, electrification, sound and light system, new doors and windows, painting, paver-finish asphaltation of the road in the Town Hall premises water proof roof and construction of parking bay. The work will be completed in two months, he added.

The MCC has already identified five acre land for the construction of play ground and park at Kodikal and will be done at the cost of Rs 1 crore. While another play ground will be developed at Housing Board colony in Kankanady at the cost of Rs 40 lakh. Apart from it crematorium in Kadri will be modernized.

Mangalore City Corporation in-Charge Commissioner Gokuldas Nayak SAS was hiked by the Deputy Commissioner who was the administrator of the MCC before the formation of the council but the council formed have sent an order to cancel the hike of SAS by 15 per cent with effect from April 1, 2014.