Newly-elected Udupi CMC chief pledges monthly water adalats

Udupi: Prabhakar Poojary, the newly elected President of Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC), announced his commitment to holding a water adalat every month to address public complaints about the unscientific increase in water bills. Upon assuming his role as president, Poojary also promised to review the water billing system and prioritise the much-needed project of upgrading the sewage treatment plant in Nittur, which is currently in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage. Additionally, Poojary stated that the Underground Drainage (UGD) project would also be initiated in the city. Rajani Hebbar was unanimously elected as the Vice President alongside Poojary. Representing the Gundibailu ward, Poojary highlighted that both he and the Vice President have a tenure of one year and two months to serve, and they plan to prioritise city cleanliness within this limited timeframe. He acknowledged the need to address issues related to street lighting. “We are committed to providing a corruption-free administration focused on development projects. Enhancing civic amenities will be our primary goal,” Poojary remarked.

Vice President Rajani Hebbar expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to serve the public and assured her that she would put in her best efforts. On the occasion, Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna emphasised that the new CMC leadership carries high expectations from the residents. He underscored the urgency of expediting the project to bring drinking water from the Varahi River and highlighted the need to demolish the existing Vishweshwaraiah market and the old KSRTC bus stand to make way for a new parking facility. “These should be treated as top priorities,” he added.

Ramesh Kanchan, leader of the opposition, pointed out that the UGD issue is a significant challenge for the city. He urged the newly elected president and vice president to focus their efforts on resolving this problem.