State cabinet's decision to create separate Dharwad Municipal Corporation, has come as a new year's gift to the citizens who have been demanding it for over a decade.
The apolitical movement launched by the citizen of Dharwad, under the Agitation Committee for Separate Dharwad Municipal Corporation, which was supported by various organisations and political parties has finally been answered. The decision is expected to boost civic amenities in Dharwad.
The members of the Agitation committee thanked the Cabinet for acceding to the demand. MLA Vinay Kulkarni thanked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for fulfilling the demand.
The demand for a separate municipal corporation for Dharwad, has been decades-old as the citizen feel that the city has been meted out step motherly treatment when it comes to infrastructure and development works.
Several delegations had met the Chief Ministers of successive governments demanding a separate municipal corporation. A delegation of eminent citizens of Dharwad, met Bommai at his residence in Hubli in August 2021, and submitted a memorandum seeking bifurcation of Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation. Bommai had said Dharwad deserved to be freed from the HDMC and the government was actively considering this demand. This had raised hopes of the demand being fulfilled. However, Bommai did not do anything about it.
The committee members had argued that Dharwad has always received a raw deal as far as developmental works are concerned. With the growth of educational institutes in Dharwad, the city is growing. As per the KMC Act, any city with a population more than four lakh, can have a corporation and Dharwad fulfills the conditions. By bifurcating the HDMC both Hubli and Dharwad stand to gain, as each will get an annual grant of Rs 100 crore, say the committee members.
