Encroachment issue again dominates Kalaburagi City Corporation meeting

Just as the meeting begins, Opposition Leader Sachin Honna, the former Mayor Vishal Dargi and other members raise the issue

The issue of encroachment of public spaces by private parties, which consumed a lot of time in the last general body meeting of the Kalaburagi City Municipal Corporation, again resonated in the general body meeting here on Thursday as well.

Just as the meeting began, Opposition Leader Sachin Honna, the former Mayor Vishal Dargi and other members raised the issue and questioned the officers concerned why they have stopped the encroachment clearance drive.

Some of the members even said that the civic body officers are not being impartial in their initiatives to clear encroachments.

“Why are the officers not clearing encroachments on the main road that connects Netaji Colony and other areas in Sai Mandir area? The residents of the area recently submitted a complaint about it to the Lokayukta,” Mr Honna asked.

BJP members questioned why the encroachment clearance drive was stopped near Kharge Petrol Pump. Another member said that the football stadium built in Veerendra Patil Extension was causing disturbance to local residents.

In his response, an officer Ramesh Pattedar said that the stadium was built on a corporation plot at a cost of ₹50 lakh. He said that the project was implemented with the consent of the Deputy Commissioner.

When Mayor Yellappa Naikodi threw light on the clearance of encroachments near Chittari Adda on New Jewargi Road pavement and laying of gravel at a cost of ₹20 lakh, Congress member Syed Ahmad said that corporation officials are targeting only poor roadside vendors in their encroachment clearance drive and are leaving the powerful and influential people untouched.

“Corporation officials are evicting only the poor roadside vendors in their encroachment clearance drive and are projecting it as a great achievement. They never touch the powerful and influential individuals who have built buildings on government land,” Mr. Ahmad said.

A proposal to shift the Corporation Commissioner’s residence from its prime location at Jagat Circle to another place and build a commercial complex there was also discussed during the meeting.

An officer R.P. Jadhav said that a four-floor commercial complex can be built on the 10,706 sq ft plot at a cost of ₹5.5 crore.

In his response, Mr. Honna questioned where the civic body will mobilize the money from when it did not have enough funds to pay the wages of sanitation workers.

“Let us do something. Let us tap all sources and mobilize the money for the project,” Mr. Naikodi said.

Standing Committee members Sachin Shirwal, Parveen Begum, Mohammad Azeemuddin, Irfan Parveen and others were present.

Published - November 22, 2024 07:33 pm IST