Corporators vent ire at HDMC officials

HUBBALLI: HDMC officials, particularly those from the solid waste management unit, were taken to task by corporators during the general body meeting of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) on Saturday. The corporators criticized the officials for not maintaining cleanliness.
The corporators were discussing cleanliness after opposition leader Ganesh Tagargunti raised the issue. Tagargunti alleged that officials did not bother about anything except the assembly elections. "Whenever we asked them to take up cleaning in wards, they used to say they could not do it due to the election work. But people are cursing the elected representatives for officials' negligence," he added.

He added that due to the negligence of officials, pourakarmikas on contract basis and contractors were in trouble. Officials have failed to implement the direct salary system to the pourakarmikas while contractors too are in confusion as they have not yet been communicated that the contract was terminated, he said.

BJP floor leader and former mayor Veeranna Savadi accused former commissioner Siddalingayya Hiremath and SWM department officials of creating chaos. "It is unfortunate that Rs 35 crore is being spent every year for solid waste management, but work is satisfactory," he added.

Yasin Haveripeth, Altaf Kittur, Rajanna Koravi and others too seconded Savadi's opinion.

Reacting to the issue, commissioner Ibrahim Maigur said direct salary to pourakarmikas has not been implemented due to legal problems. "Once we get clear directions from the court, we will implement it. As the issue is pending before the court, it is sub judice to discuss the matter in the house," he said.

Endorsing the same, senior sorporator Dr Pandurang Patil advised the house not to discuss the matter. Later Mayor Sudhir Saraf ordered te commissioner to take immediate steps to run new auto tippers for door to door collection by recruiting drivers on a temporary basis till a garbage tender is floated. Girish Talwar of SWM department said drivers are already deployed on contract basis for auto tippers.

Savadi also pressed for urgent release of Rs 130 crore towards paying pension and Rs 24 crore for bulk water supply project. Tagargunt and Koravi said they will urge the government to release the grants and added that they would to take a delegation to the chief minister to discuss the issue.

Meanwhile, BJP corporator Shivanand Muttannavar tried to mislead the house by claiming himself as the chairman for health committee. When Muttannavar was debating about cleanliness, Suvarna Kalakuntla of Congress alleged that not a single meeting of the health committee was held. "Who appointed Muttannavar as health committee chairman?" she asked.

An irked Muttannavar urged the council secretary to clarify about his appointment as the chairman. However, council secretary P D Galamnanavar clarified that none had been appointed the as health committee chairman.