The relocation of divisional and sub-divisional offices and its staff coming under the national highway project, especially from North Karnataka, has stoked yet another controversy. Interestingly, the bulk of beneficiary in the relocation exercise by the Public Works Department (PWD) has been Hassan, the home district of Public Works Minister H.D. Revanna.
Amidst the ongoing row over allegations of “injustice to North Karnataka”, shifting of offices from Belagavi has provoked strong reaction from the district. A memorandum has been presented to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy by Kannada organisations.
Of the six relocations, orders of which were passed in July, four offices and staff from Belagavi, Basavanabagewadi in Vijayapura district, Bengaluru and Shivamogga have been shifted to various places in Hassan. One office along with the staff has been moved from Belagavi to Madikeri. In another intra-district re-arrangement, one office and staff have been moved from Sakleshpur in Hassan to Holenarsipur from where Mr. Revanna has been elected.
According to the order, a copy of which is with The Hindu , the Karnataka State Highways Improvement Project (KSHIP) division in Belagavi has been moved to PWD special division in Hassan, PWD’s special sub-division from Shivamogga has been moved to Arsikere, KSHIP sub-division of Basavana Bagewadi has been moved to Belur, and ESI building division in Bengaluru has been moved to national highway division in Hassan. The KSHIP sub-division in Belagavi has been moved to Madikeri.
The order said that since the KSHIP-2 being developed with the assistance of World Bank and Asian Development Bank was nearing completion, the project director of KSHIP had sought abolition of the divisional and sub-divisional offices in Belagavi. It also cites two meetings held on June 12 and June 25, under the chairmanship of Mr. Revanna, which directed setting up of divisional and sub-divisional offices since the Centre had approved several national highway projects. The meeting had also decided to re-adjust the PWD special division in Hassan. Opposing the decision to shift offices from Belagavi to Hassan, the memorandum submitted by Ashok Chandargi, convener of the action committee of Kannada organisations, warned the Chief Minister that such “thoughtless actions” would fuel demands for a separate North Karnataka State. It said: “The Belagavi circle of KSHIP has led to focused development of the region and has brought prosperity to villages and hamlets that had no proper roads. Such good work should be continued and KSHIP office should not be moved.”
‘Natural process’
Meanwhile, PWD officials in Belagavi said it is a “natural process” and should not be construed as anti-North Karnataka. “KSHIP is not a department but a target-oriented time-bound project and the order was clear as it stated that the offices are being shifted as new projects are coming up in other districts,” a senior PWD official said.
Sources in Bengaluru described as “surprising” the shifting of ESI building division — that was overseeing buildings across Karnataka — from Bengaluru to national highway division in Holenarsipur.
