Disappointed for not getting opportunity to interact with PM

Belagavi representatives unable to speak at video conference to mark launch of Smart City Project

A two-and-half-hour-long wait ended in disappointment for the officials of Belagavi City Corporation and elected representatives, who were waiting for their turn to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conference on the occasion of launching of the Smart City Project on Saturday. PHOTO: BY P.K. BADIGER.

It was an anti-climax of sorts for the officials of Belagavi City Corporation and elected representatives when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video conference organised on the occasion of the launching of the Smart City Project at Pune ended soon after Mr. Modi’s speech on Saturday.

Only three Chief Ministers - Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh, Naveen Patnaik of Odisha and Vasundhara Raje of Rajasthan - could get the opportunity to present their case directly to the Prime Minister and Union Minister for Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu. Even as the officials and elected representatives, including Mayor Sarita Patil, Suresh C. Angadi, MP, Sanjay B. Patil, MLA, and BBC Commissioner G. Prabhu were waiting for their turn, the Prime Minister stood up to address the gathering and all those connected with the video conference.

Eventually, they turned out be a captive audience for the Prime Minister’s nearly 50-minutes-long speech, as observed by many present at the video-conference hall at the new Zilla Panchayat building in the city.

Later, Mr.Angadi reiterated the salient features of the SCP and works to be taken up in the city soon.