Mangaluru: Mangaluru City South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath accused the Congress govt of attempting to create confusion among the public with regard to the development works to be taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 165 crore in the city under the Mahatma Gandhi Nagar Vikas Yojana (MGNVY 2.0).The MLA told reporters on Friday that during the previous govt’s term, Rs 165 crore was announced for the MGNVY Phase 1 in 2019. However, when the Congress govt came to power, it blocked the funds released to all municipal corporations, including Mangaluru.“Now, by adding ‘2′ to the project’s name, they are misleading people by claiming the Congress govt is providing funds for development. It’s the same project, the same funds, only the name has changed. This is the Congress’s achievement,” he said.He questioned the govt as to why the previous project was blocked. “Why is the same project now given a different name? So, who is doing politics here? They should look at the previous govt’s budget documents. The Rs 165-crore project was announced in the budget,” he said.Congress functionaries claim they sanctioned Rs 50 crore to Congress MLAs and Rs 25 crore to BJP-JD(S) MLAs. “Can they provide records of even one development project initiated or tendered with that money? What’s the big achievement in distributing funds that should be given to all 224 constituencies in the state? Any govt must provide these funds. If they have given any special grant to our constituency, let them present it as their govt’s achievement to the people,” Kamath said.He criticised local Congress functionaries, accusing them of politicising development issues. “Let them release a white paper detailing funds allocated and works taken up in Mangaluru City South constituency and Dakshina Kannada district. A foundation stone ceremony for the proposed Ambedkar Circle was held in 2024, but the work has not been taken up yet,” he said. The foundation stones for works to be taken up under the second phase of the MGNVY within the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) limits will be laid by urban development minister Byrathi Suresh and Dakshina Kannada district minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Saturday.
