BJP MLA Abhay Patil has accused the Karnataka government of neglecting Belagavi’s South constituency in the allocation of development funds and civic works, alleging that the City Corporation has received no annual development grants for the past three years. At a press meet on Wednesday, November 11, he raised concerns over damaged roads, incomplete drainage works, poor restoration by L&T under the 24×7 water supply project, and alleged administrative lapses. He also demanded that the upcoming winter session at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha focus on North Karnataka’s issues, announced plans for protests over pending works and funds, and said four Smart City projects at the Vaccine Depot are expected to be ready for inauguration in December.
Threatens protest over neglected roads in South Belagavi
Patil alleged that road repair works were being concentrated in the North constituency, while the South constituency continued to face poor road conditions.
He said that despite repeated requests to the City Corporation authorities, even basic patchwork had not been undertaken. He gave the administration eight days to complete the pending patchwork and warned that if the work was not done, trees would be planted in front of ministers’ vehicles wherever they travel during the legislative session.
He said the Mayor and corporators had also raised the issue but their demands had not received a response.
Plans protest at L&T’s Chennai headquarters
Expressing dissatisfaction with the road restoration work carried out by L&T under the 24×7 water supply project, Patil said several roads dug up for pipeline work had been left in a damaged condition without proper restoration.
He recalled that residents had earlier locked the company’s offices in protest, but alleged that there had been no satisfactory response.
Patil said he, along with the Mayor and corporators, was planning to stage a dharna at L&T’s Chennai headquarters, either before or after the winter session, to highlight the poor quality of restoration work in Belagavi.
₹15 crore drainage funds still pending
Patil said approximately ₹20 crore had been sanctioned for drainage works in his constituency, but only around ₹5 crore had been released. As a result, several contractors had stopped work.
He said the incomplete works included drains where columns had been constructed but slabs were pending, completed slabs without plastering, and drains without covers.
According to him, around 170 drains across 50 localities were affected, and the issue had remained unresolved for nearly three years.
He warned that if the pending funds were not released during the winter session, women from the affected localities had decided to protest at the hotels where ministers would be staying in Belagavi.
Demands priority for North Karnataka during winter session
Patil urged MLAs to participate fully in the upcoming winter session at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha and called on the Assembly Speaker to give priority to North Karnataka-related discussions.
He demanded that at least half of the session be devoted to issues concerning North Karnataka, particularly Belagavi and its surrounding districts.
He said the session should not become a symbolic exercise, with important regional issues being sidelined by prolonged discussions on unrelated subjects. He also suggested that attendance of MLAs should be monitored during the Belagavi session, as it is in Bengaluru.
Four Vaccine Depot Smart City projects likely to be inaugurated in December
Patil said four projects taken up at the Vaccine Depot under the Smart City initiative, during the previous BJP government, were expected to be completed by the end of November or the first week of December.
He said Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar was expected to inaugurate the projects in the second week of December, as they had been developed using Central and State government grants.
Belagavi City Corporation allegedly deprived of ₹100 crore annual grants
Patil alleged that the Belagavi City Corporation, which earlier received approximately ₹100 crore annually from the government, had not received such grants for the past three years.
He expressed concern over the financial condition of the Corporation and claimed that cheques issued by it were bouncing. He also alleged that funds under SC/ST and other special grants were not being released.
He said the delay in fund allocation was affecting development works and the functioning of the Corporation.
Raises concerns over government scheme beneficiaries
Patil alleged a sharp decline in beneficiaries under the Devaraj Urs and Ambedkar Development Corporation schemes. He claimed that schemes which earlier benefited 50 to 60 people now had only two beneficiaries despite around 100 applications.
He also alleged that funds allocated to the Karnataka Development Authority had not been released for the past three years.
Seeks action against officials, alleges administrative failures
The MLA criticised the functioning of certain officials and alleged that public representatives’ complaints were not being acted upon.
Referring to a resolution passed against a Revenue Department official, he questioned why the government had not initiated an inquiry or suspension. He alleged that the official was transferred only after three to four months, without any disciplinary action.
He said the lack of action against officials was affecting public services and accountability in the City Corporation.
Seeks strict police action over recent clashes
Patil also expressed concern over the recent clashes reported in Belagavi city and appealed to the Police Commissioner not to succumb to political pressure. He demanded strict action against all those involved.
Proposes IT/BT initiative for Belagavi
Patil said efforts were underway to establish an IT-related setup in Belagavi and indicated that a decision could be taken during the upcoming legislative session. He expressed the hope that the Chief Minister and IT Minister would inaugurate the initiative.
He also appealed to the State government to release pending development funds, stating that even partial allocation would help restart stalled works and address the city’s civic problems.