Hubballi: The Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) general body has allowed its members to approach the High Court of Karnataka seeking directions to the state government for releasing pending pension funds.
As the HDMC was a part of the government, the meeting asked the floor leaders of all political parties to go on an appeal in the High Court seeking direction to the government to release the pending Rs 120 Crore.
When BJP member Viranna Savadi sought an explanation, HDMC Commissioner Siddalingayya Hiremath said the contractors’ bills worth Rs 17 Crore were pending. Though revenue collection was good, spending general funds for disbursement of pension, roughly Rs 3 Crore per month, had led to financial issues, he said.
While most of the members supported Savadi, Congress members asked the corporation to further improve its revenue collection by taking stern action to collect property tax, stallage fee and also from the town planning section.
BJP member Pandurang Patil said that the government had failed to stand by its own order stating that funds would be releasedwithin three months. Now, once the court issues notices to the departments concerned, they themselves will mend their ways and release the funds on their own, he said.
Deputy Mayor Lakshmi Bijawad, who chaired the meeting, gave a ruling asking the floor leaders and the Taxation Committee chairman for petitioning the court in this regard.
