Mathikatti to work for N-K development

Mathikatti to work for N-K development

Special Correspondent - The Hindu

Bangalore: Chairman of the Legislative Council Veeranna Mathikatti has said that he will strive hard to create employment opportunities for the educated youth in north Karnataka by encouraging information technology and biotechnology majors to expand their activities in that region, so that the pressure on Bangalore would reduce to a great extent.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Mathikatti, who was recently elected to the post, said that he wanted to contribute to the development of north Karnataka, as he hailed from that area.

Coordination

Fortunately, he said that Speaker Jagadish Shettar also hailed from Hubli and hoped that both could help in coordinating development activities in the backward districts.

Asked to elaborate his plans, the Congress leader said that some of the eminent persons in the IT field such as Gururaj Deshpande, Nandan Nilekani and Sudha Murthy were from north Karnataka.

These industry leaders, he said, would certainly lend a helping hand, if he and Mr. Shettar requested them to start operations in north Karnataka towns such as Belgaum, Hubli-Dharwad, Gulbarga, Bidar and Davangere, which had a large number of educational institutions.

HDMC all set to launch software for local bodies

HDMC all set to launch software for local bodies

Girish Pattanashetti - The Hindu

It is designed to conduct day-to-day activities, transactions

---

Management Information System cell has developed it

HDMC yet to decide its price

---

HUBLI: The Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) is all set to become the first municipal corporation in the country that will sell integrated management system software for use by other urban local bodies.

In fact, the HDMC has given the new software, designed to conduct day-to-day activities and transactions of urban local bodies, to Mangalore, Mysore and Belgaum city corporations.

The software is an integration of various software developed by the Management Information System (MIS) cell. The MIS cell was set up to facilitate computerisation of the HDMC. The HDMC now has custom-made software for handling birth and death registrations and issuing certificates, and an accounting software for transfer and receipt of funds and tax collection.

The MIS cell has also developed various working modules for different departments and software that would ensure adherence to administrative procedures and guidelines.

The software developed for the corporation’s Public Works Department enables officers concerned to keep track of the all the pending, sanctioned and ongoing works.

“At the click of a button, an officer will get details about various works, a project’s progress and details of tenders and work orders, among others. And, if there is no budgetary provision for a project, the software will not allow you to go ahead with the tendering process,” Commissioner of HDMC Ajay Nagabhushan said.

He said that experts from various fields, including M.S. Subhas, Dean of Kousali Institute of Management Sciences of the Karnatak University, had assisted the corporation in coming out with an integrated software system that would suit the requirements of urban local bodies.

Mr. Nagabhushan said that the Public Works Department of Goa had evinced interest in the software.

“We are yet to decide on its price,” he said.

Mr. Nagabhushan said the MIS cell was finalising the price for the integrated software. After it was decided, the HDMC would start promoting it in other States.

He said that the software would be made available to urban local bodies in Karnataka free of cost.

Action plan for infrastructure development by month-end

Action plan for infrastructure development by month-end

Staff Correspondent - The Hindu

Government has allocated Rs. 50 crore for the purpose

---

Rs. 10 crore to Rs. 12 crore to be spent for development of link roads

HDMC plans to take up development of various gardens in the twin cities

---

HUBLI: The Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation’s (HDMC) action plan for development of infrastructure in the twin cities is likely to be finalised by the month-end. This follows allocation of Rs. 50 crore in the State Budget for infrastructure development in Hubli and Dharwad.

The corporation Commissioner Ajay Nagabhushan has held several rounds of discussions with officials, people’s representatives, engineers, members of citizen committees, merchants and residents.

Mr. Nagabhushan told The Hindu on Monday that instead of spending the amount on one particular project, the corporation was planning to distribute it equally for various works that would be beneficial to the twin cities in the long run.

He said it had been planned to spend the amount for improving sewerage system, constructing pavements on major roads and developing roads connecting villages which were now under the HDMC jurisdiction, among others.

Mr. Nagabhushan said it had been planned to spend Rs. 10 crore to Rs. 12 crore for development of the link roads in the twin cities to ease traffic congestion on the arterial roads. The corporation was planning to take up development of the garden next to Unakal tank in Hubli, a garden at Navanagar, Azad Park and Kittur Channamma Park in Dharwad under the special assistance, he said. Projects such as dismantling of the old Town Hall in Hubli and constructing a new auditorium in its place, construction of Kannada Bhavan in Hubli and a community hall in Navanagar are likely to be included in the action plan.

Proposals to develop the mutton market and Mahatma Gandhi Market in Hubli, Super Market in Dharwad and bridges across storm water drains in the twin cities will also be included in it. The plan was likely to be tabled at the general body meeting of the corporation scheduled for the month-end, he added.