Mangaluru: With increasing space shortage on its current premises, the Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC) has drawn up a 15-crore plan to construct a new office on the land where the old taluk office was located.

The departments in the municipality have been suffering due to space shortage. The present one-storey CMC office was built when Udupi was a Town Municipal Council (TMC).

The TMC was upgraded into a CMC in 1995. The hall, where the monthly CMC meetings are held, is also not spacious.

There is a shortage of space for parking both two-wheelers and four wheelers.

“The Revenue Section is working in just 25% of area. If the office is spacious, people can come, sit and talk to the staff. The staff would also be able to function better,” said CMC Commissioner, D.Manjunathaiah.

The District Central Library located next to the present CMC Office was earlier expected to move to a new building being constructed near the Town Hall and the CMC could occupy it.

“Instead a Digital Library and Civil Services Training Centre will come up in the new building near the Town Hall. The District Central Library will remain in its present location. So we have no alternative but to construct a new spacious building,” he said.

The new CMC Office will be a three-storey building along with a ground floor. It would have spacious offices for all the CMC sections besides separate offices from the President and Commissioner with small meeting halls attached to them.

It would have separate offices for the Chairman of the CMC Standing Committee. The top floor would have a spacious Council Hall.

It would have provisions for housing two bank branches and two ATMs in addition to a canteen, besides an ample parking space.

“The 1.29 acres of land is in the name of Revenue Department. We are trying to get the land transferred to the CMC and are already in talks with the Department of Urban Development on this matter,” Mr. Manjunathaiah said.

The CMC intends to raise 6 crore from funds including the Integrated Development of Small and Medium Towns for the construction of new CMC office. It would seek special government grants for the remaining amount of 9 crore.