Even as preparations have begun for holding elections to the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC), members of the Dharwad Bar Association have put forward a demand for having an independent municipal corporation for Dharwad. Though on several occasions in the past, such demands have been made, they have been of no avail.
On Thursday, members of Dharwad Bar Association led by senior counsel V.D. Kamaraddi and others submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Dharwad. Submitting the memorandum, the advocates contended that ever since the municipal corporation was established in 1962, the municipal commissioner was stationed at Hubballi. “Only twice in a week the commissioner attended office at Dharwad. Consequently, development has taken a back seat in Dharwad and preferential treatment is being given to Hubballi,” they said.
Despite having four universities, a High Court Bench and several educational institutions, Dharwad lacked basic amenities. They said that 80% of Dharwad is yet to see proper underground drainage system. To overcome all these problems, the State government should set up an independent municipal corporation for Dharwad so as to facilitate comprehensive development of the city, they said.
