HDMC deprived of IAS officer’s services

Hubballi: Citizens of Hubballi-Dharwad are now raising voice against the government's alleged step-motherly treatment towards Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Commission (HDMC). Their disappointment is enhanced after the appointment of G R J Divya, an IAS officer, as the commissioner of Ballari City Commissioner.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah had assured of appointing an IAS for HDMC at a public meeting at Cultural Hall in Cotton Market in Hubballi in April 2015.

But his assurance is yet to materialize even after two KAS officers worked as the HDMC commissioner.

When the current commissioner was transferred to Kalaburagi on December 27, people's hopes of getting an IAS was rekindled. When the government reinstated him on December 31, their hopes were dashed.

In a survey conducted on Hublicity-eGroup, a Facebook page, 98.51% citizens opined that there is need for an IAS officer as the HDMC commissioner. In Dharwad Bonds, another Facebook page, 100% citizens stressed on the need for an IAS officer for the post.

Vijay Inamdar, a member of Nature First Eco Village, opined that whether it is with or without IAS officer, Hubballi-Dharwad needs a bold officer having zeal to improve the twin cities. Shridhar Deshpande, a member of Karnataka Bhrashtachar Nirmulane Vedike, said that the need of the hour is an officer who can execute reforms in a planned manner and has free hands to execute projects in a transparent manner.

Sham Kamat, a civic rights activist, said that he wonders why the state government is posting KAS officers at HDMC. "It is a twin cities corporation and has huge potential for development. Moreover, it is a Smart City. The government has forgotten the basic principle of public administration that underlines utilizing of IAS hands at crucial posts. This is another example of negligence towards the HDMC. Local politicians are also silent," he said.

He clarified that there is no intention of insulting anybody, but the twin cities require a higher-rank officer at the helm of affairs.

Corporator Shivanand Muttannavar said that IAS officials, though they are from other state, get better training in administration. "Though they don't know Kannada and the land, they always try to know the pulses at grassroots level. KAS officials think and act based on people's grievances. But IAS officers always think of citizens, who even cannot come to HDMC premises," he said.

Citizens like Sunil Nalavade, Raghavendra Devale, Imran Shiggaon, Shreedhar Dandappanavar and Aniruddh Vernekar remembered Manivannan's contribution for development and wished to see such IAS officer at HDMC.

There is long attachment of twin cities with IAS officials since the inception of HDMC on March 1, 1962. Out of 62 commissioners, it has availed stewardship of 26 IAS officials. It is deprived of IAS in HDMC since September 25, 2014, and has been headed by KAS and KMAS officials. Ramandeep Chowdhary was the last IAS serving the HDMC.