Save Brand HDMC Forum formed opposing bifurcation of HDMC
Even as the agitation committee for an exclusive municipal corporation for Dharwad seems to have succeeded in convincing the State government to fulfil its demand
Even as the agitation committee for an exclusive municipal corporation for Dharwad seems to have succeeded in convincing the State government to fulfil its demand, a new forum comprising advocates, businessmen and intellectuals from Dharwad has been formed opposing the bifurcation of Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation. The Save Brand HDMC Forum coordinators and members held a press conference in Dharwad on Sunday to present their viewpoint and contended that any move to divide the municipal corporation will be detrimental to the future of both of the twin cities. Addressing presspersons, a representative of the forum and senior advocate Arun Charantimath said that while approving the resolution on bifurcation of the municipal corporation and later withdrawing it, the councillors of both the Congress and the BJP have failed to apply their mind to the issue. Charantimath said that the allegation that Dharwad has been treated unfairly in allocation of funds is the view of only a few individuals who have come out to protest but, not a collective view of the residents of Dharwad.
At a time when Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is highlighting the need for creation of a Greater Bengaluru by incorporating more areas into the city, it is illogical to seek bifurcation of HDMC, he said. The move will invariably reduce Hubballi and Dharwad to the scale of smaller municipal corporations, he said and added that instead of playing the “injustice card” and seeking bifurcation, people should focus on long term interests of both the twin cities. Charantimath said that bifurcation will result in Hubballi-Dharwad losing the tag of being the second largest urban centre in the State after Bengaluru and cities like Mangaluru and Mysuru seizing the opportunity to lure investors. Instead of bifurcation, elected representatives and residents should demand for making Hubballi-Dharwad a metropolitan city, he said. Already, a memorandum in this regard has been submitted to Mr. Shivakumar and Dharwad in-charge Minister Satish Jarkiholi.
The Chief Minister has promised to look into the issue, he said and added that the forum has proposed constituting a committee headed by a former judge of the High of Court of Karnataka to review the proposal. The former Mayor Hanumanth Dambal said that in the event of bifurcation, Dharwad will suffer the most as it will yield less revenue. He said that as of now, HDMC requires ₹88 crore towards salary expenses. While the State government contributes ₹70 crore, the balance ₹18 crore is being mobilised through internal resources, he said. “Dharwad collects ₹45 crore as revenue and in the event of bifurcation, ₹35 crore will go towards salaries. Consequently, the availability of funds for development of each ward will be just ₹10 crore, while the present allocation is ₹1.5 crore. Moreover, bifurcation means Hubballi and Dharwad will be downgraded to C category cities, which, in turn, will adversely affecting business prospects.
The BriefWire