Dharwad supermarket cries for HDMC attention

Dharwad supermarket cries for HDMC attention

TNN Oct 9, 2011, 07.13PM IST

DHARWAD: Did the officials of Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) misguide the elected representatives regarding the status of the proposal to develop the supermarket in Dharwad? This was the question which hogged the centrestage at the press conference called by Hubli-Dharwad (West) MLA Chandrakant Bellad and mayor Poorna Patil in Dharwad on Saturday.

JD(S) members launched an agitation three days ago demanding development of the supermarket. They have alleged that rift within the ruling BJP in HDMC and lack of political will has resulted in the market being neglected.Bellad and Poorna had convened the press conference to claim that the proposal for the development of supermarket is at the final stage of clearance at the government level and that the work will begin soon.Bellad said the matter will come up before the cabinet in its next meeting for the approval and tendering process will start once the cabinet's approval is obtained. However, when media persons brought to the notice of the MLA and mayor the fact that the proposal sent by the HDMC had been rejected by the government, the duo failed to give a convincing explanation.HDMC commissioner Trilokchandra had clearly stated at the general body meeting of the corporation held last week that the government had rejected the proposal sent by the HDMC asking it to send a fresh one based on public-private partnership (PPP) model.

The commissioner had also stated that another fresh proposal would be sent to the government on the desired model.When reporters asked the MLA whether the fresh proposal had been sent and whether it had been approved by the ministry of urban development he replied that it had been cleared and awaited cabinet approval.When the reporters wondered how all this could happen in just a week's time when there were hardly four working days in October, the MLA had not convincing reply. Mayor Poorna Patil was also unable to give information about the exact status of the proposal.