The State government’s move to implement the works to be taken up under the Special Grants to the municipal corporation through the Public Works Department (PWD) has upset the councillors of Hubballi-Dharwad.
Till now, works under the Rs. 100-crore special grants to the corporation were implemented by the municipal authorities and the new norm is being seen as a move to “centralise” power.
The councillors of Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) made no efforts to hide their displeasure over the government’s move in the monthly council meeting of the corporation held on Wednesday.
Raising the issue in the council meeting, the former Mayor, Veeranna, said that if the Public Works Department had to execute the works sanctioned under the guidance of the Deputy Commissioner, then it would be better to send home the engineers of the municipal corporation and wind up HDMC.
Other councillors, including Ganesh Tagargunti and Yasin Haveripet of the Congress; Rajanna Koravi and Altaf Nawaz Kittur of the JD(S), and floor leader Ramanna Badiger (BJP), condemned the move and demanded that the works allotted to HDMC be implemented by the municipal body itself.
Mayor Manjula Akkur issuing a direction to municipal commissioner to implement the special grant works through the municipal officials. After another heated discussion over tax collection, Mayor Manjur Akkur directed the officials to take steps to ensure that big educational institutions, NWKRTC, APMC and others pay their taxes regularly.
