The ownership and compensation liability of the road in front of Shiv Srushti in Shahapur has once again come under scrutiny after the Dharwad Bench of the High Court imposed a ₹25,000 fine and issued a bailable warrant in the case.
The High Court has directed that ₹2.18 crore be paid as compensation to the Gargatti family, whose land was used for the road. However, the Smart City Department has stated that it does not have the funds to pay the compensation.
Adding to the complexity, it has been claimed that while a decision to transfer the road to the Belagavi City Corporation was taken in a meeting of the Smart City Scheme’s Administrative Board, the proposal is still pending with the State Government. As a result, the road has not been formally transferred to the City Corporation.
With punitive action initiated against the Managing Director of the Smart City Department, a key question remains unanswered: who will pay the ₹2.18 crore compensation?
Earlier, when a proposal to pay ₹20 crore compensation for the same road was discussed, the issue had sparked heated debate in the City Corporation’s general body meeting. At the time, the Corporation had held the Smart City Department responsible. Then Smart City Managing Director Afrinbano Ballari had stated that the road was constructed only after No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Corporation, and that while the Smart City Department executed the road work, compensation did not fall under its jurisdiction.
At present, the City Corporation is being told it must bear the compensation burden of ₹2.18 crore.
While most roads developed under the Smart City scheme have been transferred to the City Corporation, the proposal to transfer this Shahapur road is still awaiting government approval. Further action will now depend on directions from the State Government.
Meanwhile, the current Smart City Managing Director, Kavita Warangal, is expected to appear before the court and submit all relevant details related to the road. With the Smart City Department clearly stating that it will not pay the compensation, the responsibility now appears to be shifting to the city administration, setting the stage for the next round of accountability.