Mangaluru: Balpa village in Sullia taluk, which was selected as ‘Aadarsha Grama’ under the flagship programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by MP Nalin Kumar Kateel has been in the news from the past few days for wrong reasons.

While the locals have alleged that the model village of the MP has no road, electricity connection and toilet facilities, media published articles and questioned the MP as to why his ‘Aadarsha Grama’ is far from being a model village.

Though several media had tried to contact him for his response over this issue, he was not available to respond to it. However, when Newskarnataka.com met him in the city on Sunday, September 29 and sought his response over the issue, he clarified that there are more than one hurdle posing impediments on the path.

“I am aware that road is not the only issue.  There are many, but the problem is that there are too many hurdles as well,  which are not getting cleared,” he said adding that projects on road,  electricity and the likes are pending because the forest department has not allowed the projects to take off.

Nalin informed that many people have constructed their houses on forest land, to which clearance of forest is a must. “Without the permission of the forest department, we cannot lay the roads, ” he informed adding that without title deeds to houses built on forest land,  the families cannot be extended with any government facilities.

Pointing out the problem of road connection to Ramanna Poojary’s house, whose photo of being carried on a wooden chair by locals went viral recently,  the MP said that Rammanna Poojary’s house is located too far away and laying a road to his house requires several permissions from private land owners. “If the private individuals agree to it,  it can be done,  but it seems unlikely that the permission will be given by them, ” he added.