Cloth bag distribution project to all households scrapped

Mysore/Mysuru: Amidst acrimonious scenes over the authority of the Mayor in conducting a Council Meeting in the wake of Mayoral term expiring in February, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Council last evening gave its assent for piped gas supply for individual households in the city.

The project that had begun in earnest on the outskirts of the city faced rough weather to make an entry into city areas as two BJP MLAs had openly opposed the project over the issue of restoration of roads after the digging works to lay pipes. However, the open squabble was sorted out internally among MLAs and MP Pratap Simha, a strong advocate of the project.

The Council meeting was called by Mayor Sunanda Palanetra at Nalwadi Hall and right at the beginning, Corporators questioned her authority of calling for a meeting though her term had expired in February.

A section of Congress and JD(S) members created ruckus and claimed that as the tenure of Sunanda Palanetra (BJP) was over, any decision taken including implementation of piped gas scheme would be infructuous.

The meeting was postponed to 3.30 due to lack of quorum and again after it began, the din continued. Due to pandemonium, the meeting was postponed from 4.50 pm to 5.50 pm. Though chaos continued, the Mayor announced that the Council has approved the piped gas project, much to the chagrin of the agitating members.  It is a Central Government project to supply piped gas to all homes in Mysuru. The Mayor announced that as the Council has approved it, the executive order will be issued to proceed with the works without waiting for the ‘read and record’ process.

Taking objection to the way the Council has passed the piped gas project without even elected representatives discussing it elaborately, the Congress and JD(S) members staged a protest in the well of the House, shouting slogans against the BJP and the State Government.

According to a clarification issued to agitating members by MCC Commissioner G. Lakshmikantha Reddy, as per the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act-1976, though the Mayor’s term of one year has expired, the person holding the Mayor’s post can continue in that post till the new Mayor is chosen.

“There is no relevance to ‘in-charge Mayor’ and till the next Mayoral elections, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor will remain in the posts. Even the powers of the Standing Committee Chairpersons will continue till the new Committees are elected. Mayor Sunanda Palanetra’s term began on Feb. 23, 2021 and ended on Feb. 23, 2022. As the elections for the new Mayor have not been held, she will remain as Mayor till such time with powers to call a Council meeting,” the Commissioner clarified.

Apart from approving piped gas project, the Council decided to impose simple interest for non-payment of water bills instead of levying compound interest by rounding off previous month’s bill amount and the principal interest rate. Henceforth, simple interest will be levied at one percent on the bill amount.

Also, the Council has quashed work order of distributing two cloth bags to each house within MCC limits. These announcements were made by the Mayor.