Source:www.hdmc.gov.in
Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation would soon launch an HDMC Floating Bond for resource mobilisation for various developmental projects, HDMC commissioner P Manivannan revealed while replying to a query raised by a participant during the inter-active session of the IT Investors' Meet held here on Saturday.
A participant raised a question+ on functioning of urban local bodies through their own resource mobilisation. Manivannan said that there would be no financial crunch for local bodies if pilferage of income was stopped.
The HDMC almost doubled its tax collection without levying any new taxes. But what the local bodies needed was independence to recruit staff to suit requirements, he explained.
On the question of availability of drinking water in the next 10 years, Manivannan clarified that even if Malaprabha reservoir did not get a single drop of water this year, water could be supplied for nearly two-and-half years from the existing capacity. There would be no scarcity of water, but need was to improve bulk supply. he said.
The work on the parallel line was in the completion stage and the government had also planned the third phase of Malabrapha project. Therefore, there would be no problem for water in the next 20 years, he assured the investors.
Some investors asked Revenue and District-in-Charge Minister Jagadish Shettar as to why Chief Minister Kumaraswamy did not announce any incentives or showed seriousness in setting up the IT City between Hubli Dharwad. Shettar said that the CM assured that he would do whatever was possible to attract investment to Hubli.
He was waiting for the outcome of the meeting and responses from investors. Once proposals and packages were placed before the government, they would be seriously considered, he stated.
As land was available, there would be no problem to set up an IT City. Let 10 or 15 companies start functioning in existing space in the city. They could shift to the IT City once it was launched in a couple of years, he stated.
Substantiating the above, deputy commissioner M S Srikar said that the announcement rent at concession at the STPI was the first step of the government to provide incentives to IT companies
Several participants gave valuable suggestions on how the city could be developed and investment attracted. Most of the participants hailed the manner in which the meet was conducted. They appreciated the honest approach of the district administration and HDMC.
