The Hindu 13.02.2013
It’s pro-development, says ruling party
Opposition members term it an ‘election budget’
Ruling party members have hailed the Hubli-Dharwad
Municipal Corporation budget for 2013-14 as being “pro-development”.
However, Opposition members have termed it an “election budget”, aimed
at wooing voters.
‘Lacks vision’
Leader
of the Opposition Dasharath Wali said that the budget was lacking in
many aspects and several projects that were required for the development
of the twin cities had been left out. He said that his party was
opposed to accepting the budget as it “lacked vision and left out
crucial matters”.
JD(S) councillor Saroja felt that
more funds should have been earmarked for development of villages in
HDMC limits and also for development and repair of nalas in the twin
cities.
BJP councillors, who have identified
themselves with the Karnataka Janata Paksha, Venkatesh Mestri and Ashok
Niduvani also termed it as “election budget”. They added that along with
Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar’s name, the former Chief Minister B.S.
Yeddyurappa’s name too should have been mentioned in the budget speech
as he had allocated special grants for Hubli-Dharwad.
Raising
objections to several points in the budget, the former Opposition
leader Ganesh Tagargunti took exception to the “lackadaisical” attitude
of the officials who, he said, were not interested in tapping existing
revenue potentials. He suggested modifications in a few of the schemes
mentioned in the budget.
‘Create land bank’
JD(S)
councillor Rajanna Koravi stressed the need to create a land bank in
villages that are in HDMC limits, keeping in mind the future
infrastructural needs of the twin cities.
Several councillors suggested modifications in the budget proposals.
The
former Opposition leader Deepak Chinchore had a verbal altercation with
Mayor Pandurang Patil and the former Mayor Viranna Savadi alleging that
the corporation was collecting excess taxes from citizens.
Subsequently, he took exception to a remark by the former Mayor Viranna Savadi and staged a walkout.
Mr.
Savadi too suggested some modifications in the proposals after which
Dr. Patil directed the officials to make modifications as suggested by
the councillors before sending it to the government.
