Mangalore : The State government taking up Mangala Corniche Road project or the river front project proposed a decade ago, the 30-odd owners of tiles manufacturing units have demanded withdrawal of the notification for the road that is proposed to pass through their properties. The notification has prevented the owners from selling their lands.

Srinivas Rai and other members of the Western India Tile Manufactures’ Association made this demand during the visit of Urban Development and Housing Minister U.T. Khader to the Cascia Tiles Factory, which is among the tile factories on the river bed that are not operating. The visit by Mr. Khader was following a complaint made by the association during the Manglauru Urban Development Authority’s adalat held on Saturday.

Mr. Rai said following notification for Mangala Corniche in 2009 nothing has moved at the government level to make the project a reality. Still, there is still no clarity on the project. But it is said that the proposed road would pass through the properties of tile manufacturing units. “When we applied for zonal certificates we came to know that a large extent of our properties are earmarked for the proposed road, buffer land and park,” he said .

“The project has not taken off and we are facing the heat. We are facing hardship disposing our properties to meet our needs,” Mr. Rai said.

Ian Lobo from Cascia Tiles Factory, who runs Lobo River View Private Resort, said with difficulty in disposing off the land they are finding it hard to make statutory payments to the government.

“The government should withdraw the notification regarding Mangala Corniche Road and liberate us,” Mr. Rai said.

Empathising with the tile manufacturers, Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil S. said the proposed road had not moved forward due to lack of funds. The district administration now has funds under the Smart City Project. The tile manufacturing units are viewed as heritage value in area development works to be taken up under the project.

Mr. Senthil said tile manufacturers will be involved in the ongoing consultation process. Inputs from experts namely Shibu Raman from Cardiff University’s Welsh School of Architecture will be taken. “We have to sit together and do the best that benefits the city,” he said and added that the development works will not be at the cost of tile manufacturers.

Mr. Khader asked authorities to complete the consultation work at the earliest and work out a solution that serves the interest of the tile manufacturers.

Earlier, Mr. Khader visited the narrow stretches of Major District Road between Sulthan Battery and Kudroli that were proposed to be widened to a 24 metre road. Residents said with such a stipulation many of them could not get space for constructing houses in the area.

Mr. Khader was accompanied by MLC Ivan D’Souza, Mr. Senthil, Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Mohammed Nazir, and Mangaluru Urban Development Authority Commissioner K. Srikanth Rao.