Belagavi’s ambitious CITIIS 2.0 project, once hailed as a national success story, is now on the brink of collapse due to serious administrative lapses, procedural violations, and lack of accountability, alleged Manjunath R. Banashankari at a press conference.
The project proposal “VIISWAS,” prepared by Avanthi Rao and Manjunath Banashankari, had secured the 2nd rank among 100 Smart City SPVs nationwide and placed Belagavi among the final 18 selected cities in early 2024. Following approvals in January, a national jury presentation in February, and final selection in March 2024, the project was widely seen as a major milestone for the city.
However, the situation deteriorated rapidly thereafter. Key appointments mandated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs were allegedly manipulated, leading to the appointment of ineligible candidates. Several officials, including the Project Coordinator and Public Engagement Officer, were later terminated, while another senior officer was removed for non-performance. Currently, all critical positions remain vacant, with temporary arrangements raising concerns over administrative overreach.
Despite the release of a ₹7.5 crore mobilisation fund in April 2024 and the signing of key agreements, including one with the French agency AFD, the project has seen little to no progress. Weekly review meetings were reportedly ignored, deadlines missed, and coordination with state authorities remained absent. None of the eight mandatory deliverables have been completed to date.
Serious irregularities have also been flagged, including alleged submission of fabricated NABL certificates in a waste characterisation study and repeated failures in procuring an environmental and social agency. The matter has now reached the Supreme Court, raising the possibility of a stay on the project.
Banashankari further dismissed claims that the project cost was reduced from ₹135 crore to ₹75 crore due to municipal inefficiency, calling them misleading. He clarified that ₹135 crore was only a cap and that allocations depend on performance. The reduction, he said, was due to technical flaws in the DPR, particularly the inclusion of an unviable compressed biogas component, which was rejected during evaluation.
He also refuted allegations against the Urban Local Body (ULB), stating that its responsibilities—limited to land provision and a 20% financial contribution—had been fulfilled. He criticised attempts to shift blame onto the ULB and termed recent claims about land allocation failures as baseless.
Meanwhile, a ₹5 crore fund release approved in a Special General Body meeting has been stalled following objections from the Urban Development Department, citing lack of technical clearance.
Alleging deliberate misinformation and mismanagement, Banashankari warned that unless immediate corrective action is taken, including the removal of the current Managing Director and appointment of a competent officer, he will launch an indefinite hunger strike from April 3, 2026.
He urged the public to remain vigilant and not be misled, stating that continued administrative indifference could result in the complete collapse of a project that once brought national recognition to Belagavi.