New projects for twin cities - laughing stock

New projects for twin cities - laughing stock
Newindpress.com

Saturday October 21 2006 13:16 IST

HUBLI: The announcement to set up the Textile Park in the twin cities of Hubli-Dharwad by the State Government, has become a laughing stock with the government’s failure to keep its word in implementing projects announced for the twin cities.

People have lost faith in the government announcing new projects for the twin cities. Not only the incumbent government, but all previous governments had announced many new projects for Hubli and Dharwad, however, they were on paper only.

There is a long list of such new projects and schemes which were announced by all the governments and nothing was done to implement them with commitment, in a decade.

The government had announced its plan to construct a big truck terminus near Gabbur cross on 80 acres of land, to ease traffic congestion in the twin cities, about six years ago. Even the district administration had announced a time bound programe to complete this terminus last year, but nothing has moved on this, with no works initiated on constructing the terminus.

Both, the Hubli-Dharwad Urban Development Authority and the district administration, pass the buck to each other, for the delay in taking up the works.

Another project, was that of setting up the ‘Regional Science Centre’ on KUD campus, which was ignored by the government after the formal announcement.

Though, the Central government was said to have sanctioned its share of Rs 3.25 crore, there is still no sign of initiating works on this project.

People here were elated when the government announced constructing a ring road that was approved in 2001 when Dharam Singh was the PWD minister. But, this project did not get salvation even when Dharam Singh became the CM.

The government had also promised to convert the road between Hubli-Dharwad into four-lane, when S M Krishna was the CM but again failed to do so, resulting in public agitations.

The list of projects being announced for the twin cities like establishing cold storages, flyovers, solid management unit, is endless.

Sadly, most projects have been gathering dust in various government departments.

At least now, the government should stop announcing new projects, till it completes all pending projects with commitment, to win the confidence and faith of people of the twin cities, is what the public strongly opine.

NRIs on e-crusade for JNNURM

NRIs on e-crusade for JNNURM

MANU AIYAPPA - TIMES NEWS NETWORK

11 Oct, 2006 2320hrs IST

HUBLI: The campaign to demand the inclusion of Hubli-Dharwad under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) received a shot in the arm with some Non-Resident Indians now joining the crusade.

Some natives of Hubli-Dharwad residing overseas have volunteered to launch a chain of protest by observing a day-long fast to express their solidarity, to insist that the Union government include the twin-cities under JNNURM.

Nagesh Tavarageri, a resident of Cerritos in USA, who initiated this e-movement through a group website, observed the token hunger strike on Tuesday.

Informing this to The Times of India over phone from the US, Tavarageri said: "The goal of this group is to unite and send a strong signal to the Karnataka and Union governments that we too are concerned about the development of our hometown Hubli-Dharwad."

Already, hundreds of natives of Hubli-Dharwad residing overseas have made online representations (www.petitiononline.com/HDJNNURM/petition.html) to President A P J Abdul Kalam, prime minister Manmohan Singh, Union urban development minister S Jaipal Reddy and chief minister H D Kumaraswamy.

Prabhuraj Ginimav of UK, Jayaraghavan of Angola in Africa, Sanjay Mundergi, USA, Lingappa Kalburgi, Auckland, New Zealand, and Praveen Karadiguddi Manchester, UK, and a host of Indians have volunteered to take part in the e-movement.

"This is just the beginning. If needed, we would do more to ensure that the Hubli-Dharwad is included under JNNURM,"said an e-mail from an NRI settled in UK. Highlighting the importance of the project and the movement, the NRIs said JNNURM is the single largest central government initiative in the urban sector, aimed at improving the quality of life in cities and towns across the country. It has made provision for Rs 50,000 crore for a period of seven years.

The JNNURM will extend to 63 cities, including those with a population of above a million, all state capitals and other cities considered important from religious, historical and tourist point of view.

Under the scheme, cities had been classified into three categories. A steering committee headed by the Union minister of urban development was constituted to finalise the list of the cities to be taken up under the mission.

The committee first took up the issue with the then chief minister Dharam Singh and the then minister for urban development S R Morey (both hailing from North Karnataka) and appealed to them to include Hubli-Dharwad in the list, as the state governments were given powers to change the cities to be taken up under the scheme.

Initially, they responded and sent a letter on November 29, 2005, requesting them to include the twincities under the scheme.

But bowing to political pressure, Dharam Singh again wrote a letter on December 7, 2005, to the Union government urging him to include Hubli-Dharwad and Gulbarga along with Mysore.

This virtually spoiled the show as the guidelines of the mission clearly stated that only one city should be recommended under the C category.

Singh deliberately overlooked them and as a result, the steering committee decided to go by the initial list. This attracted widespread protest from various quarters even as everyone rued the decision of the previous Congress-led government.

As a damage control exercise, AICC chief Sonia Gandhi during her visit to Bangalore recently, assured the people of Karnataka that Hubli-Dharwad would be included under JNNRUM once again, reviving the hopes of residents here

7 Karnataka cities to be renamed - Hubli to become HUBBALLI

7 Karnatataka cities to be renamed
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

10 Oct, 2006 0211hrs IST

BANGALORE: It's not just Bengalooru. Seven cities of Karnataka will be officially renamed after a gazette notification on November 1.

The Kannada and culture department has identified seven cities in the state as having "Anglicised" names and suggested new names for them.

Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli, Shimoga, Belgaum and Hospet will become Bengalooru, Mysooru, Mangalooru, Hubballi, Shivamogga, Belagaavi and Hosapete.

"This is the list we've drawn up. We've left out names like Gulbarga, because those are not Anglicised. This list will be put up before the state cabinet and pending any additions that the ministers think of, these seven cities will be renamed on November 1," Kannada and culture secretary I M Vittal Murthy told The Times of India.

The English spellings still have to be finalised.

DC to officials: Make zilla utsav a success

DC to officials: Make zilla utsav a success
The Newindpress.com

Tuesday October 10 2006 13:34 IST

HUBLI: Deputy Commissioner M S Srikar has directed officials to put in concerted efforts to make Dharwad Zilla Utsav to be held here for three days from November 17, a success.

Srikar, who chaired the preliminary meeting of district-level officers in the light of Zilla Utsav, here recently, said that cultural programmes would be held at Srujana Ranga Mandir, R N Shetty Ground, Kalabhavan, Vidyavardhak Sangh, Open Air theatre of Dharwad and Indira Glass House, Savai Gandharava Hall and Revanakar Kalyana Mantap of Hubli.

The meeting decided to invite cultural troupes, tableaux, folk dance groups for public performance during the Utsav. Various sub-committees have been formed under the chairmanship of district officers to supervise the event.

The exhibition of photographs of laureates and artistes will be held at Vidya Vardhak Sangh, exhibition of brief introduction on laureates and artistes at G B Joshi Memorial Trust, exhibition of postal stamps and letters at Head Post Office, ‘Bendre Darshan’ will be held at Bendre Trust, exhibition of musical instruments at the residence of Hindustani vocalist Gangubai Hangal and ‘Bendre Kuteeta Darshan’ will be held at Vishwa Chetana Ashrama of Hubli.