MCC wants Yemmekere swimming pool to be handed over to the corporation for better maintenance
The Hindu
MCC seeks transfer of newly constructed international swimming pool for better maintenance & public use.
The Mangaluru City Corporation council has decided to write to the Dakshina Kannada district administration seeking transfer of the newly constructed international swimming pool in Yemmekere to it for better maintenance of the new pool.
Raising the issue during the ordinary meeting of the council held recently, Chief Whip Premanand Shetty said the new pool constructed by Mangaluru Smart City Limited at a cost of ₹24.94 crore is yet to be put to use for public after its inauguration by Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh a month ago.
The complex has come up in two of the 3.57 areas of land that the Deputy Commissioner had earmarked in the name of MCC for the development of a playground and park. The MCC in February 2014 granted a no-objection certificate, based on which, the two acres of land were granted to the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports where MSCL constructed the swimming pool. The complex has a 10-lane 50mX25m pool, a 5-lane practice pool, and a kids’ pool on the second floor, while a gymnasium, restrooms and other facilities for swimmers have been created on the first floor.
Mr. Shetty said that the project cost of ₹24.94 crore, ₹1.8 crore is towards the maintenance of the complex by the contractor for three years. “We need to open it to the public at the earliest and make good of the revenue spent by the government. Moreover, MCC is in a good position to make further investments for improving the facilities at the complex. Therefore, the district administration should hand over the complex to MCC,” he said.
To a question by senior councillor Shashidhar Hegde, MSCL General Manager K.S. Arun Prabha said the new pools were competition pools ideally meant for the practice of swimming athletes and for holding State and national-level swimming events. With the depth of these pools starting at 2.1 metres, Mr. Prabha said more life savers and trainers are needed if they are opened for public use. Meanwhile, the MSCL is studying models of maintenance of similar pools in other parts of the State to find the one that balances the needs of swimming athletes and general public.
“We are judges and therefore, cannot act like Mughals of a bygone era ... the writ courts in the guise of doing justice cannot transcend the barriers of law,” the High Court of Karnataka observed while setting aside an order of a single judge, who in 2016 had extended the lease of a public premises allotted to a physically challenged person to 20 years contrary to 12-year period stipulated in the law.
The High Court of Karnataka on Monday declined to interfere, at present, in the investigation against a Bharatiya Janata Party worker, who is among the accused persons facing charges of circulating obscene clips, related to “morphed” images and videos clips related to Prajwal Revanna, former Hassan MP, in public domain through pen drives and other modes.
The 16th edition of Bhoomi Habba was held on June 8, at the Visthar campus. The festival drew a vibrant crowd who came together to celebrate eco-consciousness through a variety of engaging activities, creative workshops, panel discussions, interactive exhibits and performances, all centered around this year’s theme: “Save Water, Save Lives.”