Zero Work: HDMC Horticulture Dept. Under Fire for Lackluster Performance
Hubballi: The general body meeting of the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) on Thursday turned lively after a debate erupted regarding the construction of an overhead water tank on the premises of the corporation’s horticulture department.
The discussion took a turn when Leader of the Opposition, Suvarna Kallakuntla, voiced objections against the project, citing concerns about the removal of trees for its construction. Highlighting the detrimental effects of deforestation, Kallakuntla called for alternative solutions.
This line of discussion prompted corporator Tippanna Majjagi to raise questions about the horticulture department’s overall performance. He inquired about the department’s sapling cultivation, plantation efforts, and citizen outreach initiatives aimed at increasing the city’s green cover.
The Executive Engineer (EE) of the horticulture department, facing these inquiries, admitted to the department’s inactivity in preceding years. This revelation left the meeting attendees in shock, prompting Majjagi to question the department’s purpose and propose its dissolution to save costs.
Further escalating the discussion, Majjagi inquired about the salaries of the EE and his two deputies. The engineer’s response, revealing a combined monthly salary nearly Rs. 2 lakh, reportedly caused further dismay among the attendees, who expressed concerns about the department’s apparent lack of productivity despite significant financial expenditure.
Seeking solutions, Majjagi challenged the department to cultivate and distribute saplings to HDMC members by June of this year. He emphasized the need for self-sufficiency, eliminating the corporation’s dependence on the forest department for saplings.
In response, the EE committed to providing 5,000 saplings for distribution to HDMC members. The meeting concluded with Mayor Veena Bhardwad issuing a directive to the horticulture department, mandating the distribution of 5,000 saplings as part of the upcoming Environmental Day and plantation drive.
