Udupi: Former Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC) president Prabhakar Poojary and vice-president Rajani Hebbar have dismissed the allegations made by former MLA Raghupathi Bhat regarding the city’s traffic signal project, calling them politically motivated and misleading.

Addressing reporters, the duo said that the earlier traffic signals had been installed in an unscientific and hasty manner, creating safety hazards and obstructing smooth traffic flow, especially at busy junctions such as Diana Circle and Triveni Circle. They pointed out that frequent accidents and public complaints had prompted the CMC to review the system.

“Based on directions from the police department and feedback from the public, the CMC unanimously decided to remove the old signals and replace them with new ones,” Poojary said. The new installations, he clarified, were taken up through a transparent tender process approved by the general body.

Rejecting Bhat’s claim of wasteful spending, Poojary maintained that no misuse of public funds had occurred and that the project’s sole objective was to improve traffic management in Udupi city. He noted that earlier poles had been installed even on narrow stretches, while some at Ambagilu and Balayipade were erected without the mandatory No Objection Certificates from the National Highways Authority of India.

He alleged that the previous signal structures seemed designed more for advertisement display than for public convenience.

“It is unfortunate that a former MLA is making statements resembling those of a company representative,” Poojary remarked. He added that if the earlier contractor had any grievance, it should approach the CMC directly instead of creating confusion after remaining silent for over two years.