Amid din created over water woes by Opposition members and objection raised by the ruling party, the monthly council meeting of the Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation gave approval to the water budget for 2024-25 in Hubballi on Thursday.
The ₹2.81 crore surplus water budget was presented by chairman of the Standing Committee on Taxation and Appeals Mallikarjun Gundur on behalf of the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC), which is also the executing agency for extending the 24 x 7 water supply project for the twin cities.
Tabling the budget in the council meeting, Mr. Gundur said that they are expecting a revenue of ₹281.79 crore against an expenditure of ₹278.99 crore for the 2024-25 fiscal.
For the first time, the ruling party members of the council were critical of the budget and raised queries over the mismatch in the revenue and expenditure figures.
Raising the issue, the former Mayor and BJP councillor Viranna Savadi sought to know from the KUIDFC officials the details of the progress of the 24 x 7 pipeline water supply project in the twin cities.
Assistant Superintendent of KUIDFC Kiran Hegde told the council that the contracting firm L&T has completed 35% of the work and the remaining is in progress. He said that water is being supplied regularly in priority zones.
Mr. Savadi sought to know the reasons for the reported mismanagement in water supply. He sought to know why problems have increased after KUIDFC taking over the responsibility of water supply from KUWS&DB.
Raising the issue of poor quality of work, the former Mayor and BJP councillor Iresh Anchatgeri said that L&T has laid substandard pipeline in the 300-km network and this has been proved during inspection. L&T should be asked to relay the pipeline, he added.
Responding to queries raised by the councillors, Municipal Commissioner Ishwar Ullagaddi told the meeting that L&T will relay the entire 300-km pipeline network.
He also said that he will write to the government to direct the contracting firm to pay the municipal corporation the money required for repairing the road damaged during relaying of the new pipeline.
Mr. Anchatageri said that he will oppose the budget as there is a mismatch in the statistics provided under the budget.
Leader of Opposition in the council Suvarna Kallakuntla and Opposition members too raised their objection to the approval of the water budget. And, Mr. Viranna Savadi too joined them saying that if there is mismatch in data, he will also oppose the budget.
As the ruling and Opposition councillors started raising their objections to the water budget, amid the din, Mayor Veena Baradwad ruled that the budget has been approved and adjourned the meeting.
