Mangalore: Protest Meet held for not completing the Bejai Market structure

By Alphonse Medonca
Bellevision Media Network

Mangalore, 20 September 2012:The public of Bejai vent their anger and disappointment in a protest meet held near St. Francis Xavier Church where the new Bejai Market Building was supposed to come up four years ago.  The protest meet began at about 10:30am. 

 

The project was initiated by Mangalore Corporation about 5 years ago for building a new Bejay Market and the construction had started about 4 years 10 months ago and it had stalled at the ground level and nothing happened later on.

 

MLA Ivan D’Souza spoke on the occasion highlighted inability of the Corporation to fulfill the promise of Bejay people who are still suffering.  He said as per the Corporation Rs. 1 crore and 6 Lakh has been spent but it does not look like even Rs.25Lakh has been spent on this project.  When asked why the construction has not continued they claim that the contractors are not available.  He further said there are contractors available for menial jobs such as digging, sand moving, etc where the contractors pocket a large sums of money and not account is given but for this important building structure the contractors are not coming forward as they cannot pocket any money as they have to give accountability of their job.  Corporation is keep on promising and nothing happening and he vowed that this protest will continue until the building is complete.  If within this month the construction will not start he will agitate in from of Corporation commissioner’s office and will not move until the jobs has started.  He also called on all people to unite and fight for the cause.  He thanked Priests of the Bejai Church for allowing vendors and fisher women to continue their business next to the church wall until the new construction or market building is ready.

 

 

Also spoke on the occasion were corporator Ms. Gretta Rebello, Mr. Ramdas Bhatt, Rathnakar Suwarna and MohinyAkka who are Bejai residence and suffer a lot due to  Mr. Godwin Pinto thanked all those organized this meet and the public for attending in large numbers.  In protest the vendors closed their shops today and joined the protests.  speaking specially on their behalf Mohini Akka said every time the officials come but do not get down from their vehicles but suggest many things but nothing happens and due to this their business is suffering immensely and somehow they are surviving.

The protest meet titled: "Bejai Market Horatta Samithi " was organized by Mr. B. Ramdas Bhatt, Mr. Purushotham and Mr. Godwin Pinto on behalf of Bejai Public.