A significant announcement regarding a pending land exchange deal was made during a heated general body meeting of the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) on Tuesday. Mayor Jyoti Patil declared that an all-party delegation of corporators, led by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, will be taken to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the first week of January.
Pressing for the Land Swap Deal
The core mission of this high-level delegation is to press for the urgent allotment of the Old Court premises to the HDMC. This move is part of a reciprocal agreement where the municipal corporation will allot 39 guntas of its land to the law university. The issue, which has been pending, was raised during the meeting's zero hour by former mayor Veeranna Savadi.
Mayor Patil provided clarification on why the planned delegation did not meet the Chief Minister during the recent winter assembly session in Belagavi. She attributed the delay to the opposition leader's failure to secure an appointment with CM Siddaramaiah. The matter was subsequently brought to the notice of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, who then assured that he would personally lead the all-party delegation to resolve the issue.
Patil directly asked the current opposition leader, Imran Yaligar, to take responsibility for obtaining the Chief Minister's appointment for the proposed January meeting. It was also noted that Law Minister HK Patil had previously assured the handover of the Old Court premises to HDMC, conditional on the corporation's resolution to provide the 39 guntas for the university.
Clarifications on Indore Study Tour Funding
A separate but contentious discussion emerged regarding the funding of an all-party corporators' and officials' tour to Indore. The query was initially raised by senior BJP corporator Tippanna Majjagi, who sought details on the expenditure head and the total amount spent on the tour.
In response, HDMC Commissioner Rudresh Ghali provided a detailed explanation. He stated that the tour was funded from grants sanctioned under the Swachh Bharat Mission-2 (SBM-2). A sum of Rs 85 lakh was sanctioned to HDMC for capacity building and related activities, and the Indore tour was conducted using these allocated funds.
Commissioner Ghali emphasized that the educational tour was highly beneficial for both officials and corporators, providing insights that will aid in implementing various civic plans in the future. Former mayor Ramanna Badiger supported this view, stating the learnings could be applied individually in respective wards. Commissioner Ghali assured the house that the exact total amount spent on the tour would be disclosed publicly within a couple of days.
Moving Forward
The HDMC meeting underscored two critical developments: the concerted push by all political parties to finalize the crucial land swap with the state government, and the transparent accounting of funds used for official capacity-building tours. The success of the January delegation to the Chief Minister will be pivotal for Hubballi-Dharwad's urban development plans.
