The Hindu : Despite hurdles, he did a good job

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 04, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Despite hurdles, he did a good job

By Our Special Correspondent

HUBLI March 3. The Government is yet to decide on filling the vacant post of Chairman of the Hubli-Dharwad Urban Development Authority, although lobbying has been on for the past several months.

B.S. Patil's three-year term as Chairman ended on Saturday, and he became the first person to complete it. Balu Magajikondi, who was appointed to the post by the previous Janata Dal Government, had the longest tenure hitherto of one year and 11 months. Mr. Patil has not been attending office since February 25, though he can continue to do so till alternative arrangements are made. He told this correspondent here on Monday that he did not aspire for another term since considerations other than merit were influencing decisions now. He had the satisfaction of having done a good job. The stigma attached to the post as a moneymaking one had been wiped off.

Mr. Patil, now in his seventies, came into public life through the khadi movement when late Venkatesh Magadi, founder of the Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS), made him an activist of the Dharwad District Khadi Gramodyoga Sangha. He was Hubli-Dharwad Mayor for a year, and is now heading the KKGSS. When the Government chose him for the chairman's post in the last week of February 2000, Mr. Patil was unaware of it and he was in Gulbarga on a khadi mission. Many were upset over the choice of Mr. Patil as the post was considered lucrative. It was the Minister for Water Resources, H.K. Patil, who pursued his appointment.

During his tenure, Mr. Patil was able to distribute 2,100 residential sites and 60 civic amenity sites, and got the long-pending revision of the comprehensive and outline development plans completed. The Government had approved one of them. The plan finalised after hearing public objections is pending approval. A proposal to take over 20 acres of land acquired by the KIADB for residential purpose is also awaiting Government approval.

One of Mr. Patil's significant achievements is the busting of the nexus between the contractors and the authority. A group of contractors used to corner works by quoting rates as high as 60 per cent more than the tendered amount. Mr. Patil not only got the tender cancelled initially, but also obtained quotes 10 per cent lower than the scheduled rates. In just one deal, he was able to save Rs. 70 lakh. He also proceeded against unauthorised constructions, issuing 200 notices to their owners and demolishing four or five of them. Much pressure was exerted on him to stop this action. If he had had sufficient staff, he would have undertaken more demolitions, Mr. Patil said. He commissioned L&T to prepare a flyover project for Hubli. Financial stringency stopped the municipal corporation from carrying out the work. What influenced Mr. Patil against seeking a second term was the change in political equations, with the group opposed to Mr. H.K. Patil and owing allegiance to the Minister for Urban Development, D.K. Shivakumar, gaining prominence in the district.

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