Daijiworld Media Network- Udupi
Udupi, Jul 31: A routine general meeting of the Udupi municipal council turned chaotic on Wednesday over a heated dispute regarding the digging of a road divider on National Highway 169A near Bannanje. The issue, which has gained traction on social media, led to high drama with opposition members walking out mid-meeting.
The uproar began when member T G Hegde raised concerns about alleged irregularities in the demolition of the divider and widening of a U-turn in Bannanje. "Allegations of corruption are doing the rounds on social media. Was the Municipal Council involved? Did it issue any permissions?" he asked, demanding clarity.
The matter escalated after member Savita Harish Ram accused nominated member Suresh Shetty Bannanje of maligning the council’s reputation by alleging corruption. She demanded a public apology from him.
Ruling party members echoed the demand, accusing Suresh Shetty of violating council norms. In response, leader of the opposition Ramesh Kanchan attempted to defuse the situation by offering an apology on Shetty's behalf, but ruling members refused to accept it.
Amidst the commotion, Suresh Shetty Bannanje clarified that he had not made the statement attributed to him during the meeting and claimed the remarks being discussed were distorted. However, the ruling party members remained unconvinced, prompting the opposition to stage a walkout.
Calm was eventually restored after ruling party member Sumitra Nayak persuaded the opposition members to return to the meeting.
Clarifying the matter officially, municipal commissioner Mahantesh Hangargi stated that the municipal council had no role in the demolition of the road divider. He informed the house that the decision to remove the divider was taken by the National Highways sub-division engineer under the direction of the district superintendent of police, based on recommendations by the Malpe Police to address traffic congestion in Bannanje.
MLA Yashpal Suvarna, City council president Prabhakar Pujari, and vice president Rajani Hebbar were present during the meeting, which concluded on a conciliatory note but left lingering tensions over public accountability and internal communication within the council.