Minister Satish Jarkhiholi has proposed an increase in the number of wards in Belagavi City Corporation by incorporating approximately a dozen villages surrounding the city and reorganizing the existing wards based on population. This move will result in an increase in the number of wards from the current 58 to over 90. The city corporation could be renamed Bruhat (Greater) Belagavi Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) and will be eligible for more developmental funds. Belagavi will be the second city in the state to receive BBMP status after Bengaluru, if the same is done.
Minister Satish Jarkiholi has already initiated talks to include Hindalaga, Halaga, Bastawad, Modaga, Sambra, Peeranwadi, Machche, and Dhamane villages from Belagavi rural assembly constituency and Kakati, Honaga, Bennali villages from his Yamakanmaradi constituency into the city corporation.
The proposal has been presented to the Urban Development Ministry, and the Belagavi City Corporation has been instructed to work on the plan.
This move is expected to bring about significant development in the region, and the inclusion of more villages will ensure that the benefits of development reach a wider population. The increase in the number of wards will also lead to better representation of the people and their needs. With the GREATER status, the city corporation will have access to more funds, which will enable it to undertake more significant development projects.
The Minister announced that Belagavi city would receive more funding for development if it were granted the BBMP status, as opposed to the city corporations. However, the wards of Belagavi have not been revised in over 30 years, despite significant development and the emergence of new localities.
In 1985, the city was a “Town Municipal Corporation” with 52 wards, but was upgraded to a City Corporation with 58 revised wards in 1991. The current population of the city warrants 75 wards, but the existing wards have an average population of 4-5 times that of the original 25,000-30,000. If reorganized, the number of wards based on population grounds will increase to 75, and could exceed 90 if neighboring rural localities are included.
To address this issue, the Minister has proposed granting Belagavi the BBMP status, which would provide the city with more funding for development.
If the ward system were to be reorganized, the number of wards based on population grounds would increase to 75. However, if neighboring rural localities were included, this number could exceed 90. This would ensure that each ward has a manageable population size, allowing for better governance and more efficient service delivery.
Source: The Hindustan Times