The Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation is considering a significant financial initiative: raising ₹100 crore through “green and climate bonds.” A committee will be established to thoroughly examine this proposal. Mayor Jyoti Patil made this announcement during the monthly council meeting in Dharwad on Friday.
A robust discussion unfolded among councillors from both the ruling and opposition parties. This followed Municipal Commissioner Rudresh Ghali’s presentation, where he proposed the bond issuance, drawing parallels to successful models in Indore and Surat corporations.
Commissioner Ghali highlighted that this initiative, part of the Sustainable Urban Mobility and Climate Change Project, would also benefit from a ₹13 crore aid package from the Union Urban Housing Ministry.
Despite the potential benefits, many councillors remained unconvinced, demanding a comprehensive review of the proposal. Floor leader Thippanna Majjagi specifically suggested the formation of a ‘Bond Steering Committee,’ to be led by the Deputy Mayor, to scrutinize the project’s feasibility.
In response, Mayor Patil assured the council that such a committee would be constituted within a week. She added that its members would visit other municipal corporations that have successfully implemented similar bonds, followed by a detailed workshop to gather further insights and opinions from all councillors.
Action on Illegal Meat Stalls
The presence of unauthorized meat stalls across the twin cities ignited a fiery debate, with councillors vocally criticizing officials for their inaction. Councillor Shankar Shelke spearheaded the critique, highlighting the rampant illegal transportation and slaughter of cattle.
Former Mayor Iresh Anchtageri pressed for an explanation regarding the lack of concrete legal measures taken thus far. In her ruling, the Mayor issued a clear directive for officials to immediately commence the closure of these illegal meat shops.
Anchtageri also brought up the alarming issue of inadequate advertisement fee collection. He noted a stark contrast: while the BBMP collects approximately ₹300 crore annually, the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation manages only ₹3 crore, despite having a larger potential. He asserted that this inefficiency was causing an annual loss of at least ₹6 crore.
Addressing concerns about widespread encroachments on corporation land, the Mayor ordered the formation of a sub-committee within three days to investigate and tackle this pressing matter.
Furthermore, a proposal to express gratitude to the Prime Minister for recent GST rate reductions led to another animated exchange. Following Mr. Anchatgeri’s motion to pass a resolution thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several BJP councillors readily supported it.
However, Congress councillors vehemently opposed the motion, arguing that there was nothing to commend. They contended that the higher GST rates were initially imposed by the BJP government and were only reduced following demands from the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. These remarks prompted BJP councillors to counter-accuse Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of burdening citizens with excessive taxes.
Eventually, Mayor Patil intervened to calm the agitated councillors, and the House successfully resumed its scheduled agenda.