Mysuru: Taking umbrage at the sudden withdrawal of free use of Closed User Group (CUG) mobile phones, the Corporators demanded that the facilities be reinstated at the earliest by the government.

This demand was made at the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Council meeting held here on May 30 by the Corporators.  After a hour-long discussion on the subject, Mayor M.J. Ravikumar decided to write to Chief Minister Siddharamaiah requesting him to provide basic facilities including car and CUG to the elected members and officials.

There was heated debate in the House following the letter written by MCC’s Town Planning Development Standing Committee Chairman Nandeesh Preetham to the government asking it to withdraw the car facility given to him.

Former Mayor Ayub Khan said that under JnNURM scheme, 5 per cent grant was kept aside for administrative expenses. He demanded to know how the grant was being utilised.

Nearly 25 per cent of the officials using the CUG facility have run up a bill of between Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 20,000 every month. But only the phone bills of Corporators have been made public, thus insulting them, he charged.

Asked about this, MCC’s Superintending Engineer Suresh Babu could not give a convincing answer. Corporator P. Devaraju took him to task asking him, did he not know that there was no provision to provide mobile facility, since the past nine years.

Talking about Nandeesh Preetham’s letter seeking withdrawal of car facility, Ayub Khan said that just because Preetham came from an affluent background and could afford to function without a car facility, he should have thought of other Corporators who do not enjoy the same status as they come from middle class background.

There is no provision to provide separate office and peons, will this also be banned, he asked. At this time, K.T. Cheluvegowda stood up and said that there is no provision to provide coffee during the meetings. Will it also be withdrawn? he asked.

A Standing Committee Chairman is getting free publicity by his charitable act of writing to the government to withdraw the car facility, alleged J.S. Jagadish, Prashant Gowda and K.V. Mallesh. Reacting to this charge, Nandeesh Preetham said that since he was being targeted he had to reply to the allegations.

At this time, Suhail Baig, Devaraj, Sunil and others rushed towards the well of the House and vociferously expressed their opposition. Meanwhile, Nandeesh Preetham finished reading the letter.

The Mayor threatened to remove the members from the House for causing disruption. Later, he promised to write to the Chief Minister and Urban Development Minister to review the stand. Thus, the commotion in the Council came to an end.