MANGALORE: With the controversial City Centre Mall inaugurated, it is now widely believed that the Congress leaders who had earlier demanded the demolition of the structure, by attending the inaugural function, have only backed the unauthorized construction. It is also being observed that even District Minister Krishna Palemar, by speaking in complete favour of the builder, has thereby given his nod for the controversial structure.
The former Suratkal legislator, Vijaykumar Shetty, recently while demanding the demolition of the structure had also urged the district minister Krishna Palemar and Mayor Rajani Dugganna against attending the inaugural. But contradictingly, Sunday’s function was attended by Congressmen UT Khader and Abhayachandra Jain and others, raising several eyebrows.
The dispute pertaining to the City Centre that has come up sans the no-objection certificate from the Fire Services Department as well as some requisite permits from the Corporation, is presently before the court. The BJP leaders who too should have objected to the inaugural, instead by participating in the same, have even lost the moral right to demand action against this unauthorized construction.
Even the silence maintained by the district administration with regard to City Centre when it on several earlier occasions has demolished unauthorized constructions, has surprised many.
District Minister Palemar who himself is a builder, in his address at the inaugural had spoken in complete favour of the builder and even tried to say that a construction could be raised by even violating rules.
Palemar in his address had said “ Several rules for setting up industries and huge buildings have now been simplified. Earlier it was necessary to renew the license given to the red and green industries every year. Henceforth, it is enough if the same is renewed once in five years. As far as green industries are concerned, it is enough if permission is secured initially. Earlier, buildings having 10,000 square feet area had to secure the permission of the Pollution Control Board, but henceforth there is no need for the Board’s green signal for buildings upto 2 lakh square feet area.â€
Palemar who was all praise for the City Centre building despite knowing the builders had flouted several rules, only described the same as ‘minor faults.’ Palemar also did not forget to mention that the government even had the Akrama Sakrama scheme to regularize unauthorized constructions and also that the government would also reduce the fees for the same.
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