District Commissioner to inquire affairs of Belagavi City Corporation for action against officials: Jarkiholi

Belagavi: Public Works Department and District Incharge Minister Satish Jarkiholi said that action needs to be taken against former commissioner of Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) and other officials concerned whose faults have led in the civic body being forced to pay compensation of Rs 20 crore for the lands on which road has been laid by Belagavi Smart City Limited under Smart City project with completion of land acquisition proceedings.

Deputy Commissioner will inquire into affairs of the civic body for taking necessary action.

Jarkiholi told reporters here on Wednesday that the prices of land from Bank of India to old PB Road for which compensation of Rs 20 crore has been fixed for land acquisition were too high, hence Deputy Commissioner has been asked to look into the land prices and inquire into the affairs of BCC.

Road had been laid during the period of administrator, but there were no documents in this regard with the Deputy Commissioners office which indicates that the administrator was not aware of then commissioner K H Jagadish sending letter to government seeking funds for the land acquisition.

He said, all concerned officials of the BCC including then commissioner and law officer needs to face inquiry and action. It has been alleged that none from BCC appeared in the court when there was eight weeks time.

It appears that all worked under political pressure and such situation has arisen. We have been informed that more such cases were pending and the civic body may have to give compensation of over Rs 150 crore.

Jarkiholi did not name under whose political pressure, then BCC officials took decision.

We have asked Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan to inquire into the matter. Road has been laid by Belagavi Smart City Limited and we want them to compensate the land owner instead of BCC, he added.

Decision to deposit Rs 20 crore with special lands acquisition officer has been taken unilaterally by the ruling group of BJP and we Congress led opposition group were not part of it, he stated.

Jarkiholi said, such mistakes have taken place in the BCC earlier too and same persons were responsible for them. Prices of Rs 35,000 per square feet estimated for the lands acquired for road were too high. Political pressure could have led in officials arriving at such a decision.

He said, himself was unaware as to why did Congress Corporator Muzamil Doni also leader of opposition group in BCC and Azim Patvegar meet BJP MLA Abhay Patil at his residence on the day of special council meeting on Tuesday.