Dharwad: Manoj Patil, president of the Agitation Committee for Separate Dharwad Municipal Corporation, has urged the state govt to secure the Governor’s assent to the Bill proposing a separate municipal corporation for Dharwad and to issue an official government notification at the earliest.Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Patil said the demand for a separate municipal corporation has been raised consistently for the past six years. “All political parties have extended support to this demand. During the Belagavi session, the state govt tabled the separate municipal corporation bill. It was passed unanimously and subsequently sent to the governor for assent. However, several months have passed and the bill is yet to get the governor’s consent,” he said.He further alleged that misleading rumours are being spread about the formation of a separate corporation and that politically motivated attempts are being made to oppose it. Patil expressed concern over reports that, since the finance commission allocates higher grants to larger municipal corporations, all members of the existing corporation have passed another resolution seeking continuation of the unified corporation instead of creating a separate one for Dharwad.He said the committee strongly opposes such moves and warned against attempts to delay the implementation process.Patil appealed chief minister Siddaramaiah and Union minister Pralhad Joshi not to yield to such pressures and to ensure that the separate municipal corporation for Dharwad is implemented without delay.
