Belagavi: Former mayors, deputy mayors and ex-corporators of the Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) have warned of launching a mass agitation, alleging that the civic body is functioning in an “unconstitutional, anti-development and anti-people” manner.
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Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the association led by former MLA Ramesh Kudachi strongly objected to the recently passed surplus budget, calling it misleading and based on faulty calculations. Kudachi alleged that key liabilities were deliberately excluded to present a false financial picture.
He pointed out that ₹3 crore deposited in the High Court as compensation and over ₹80 lakh in pending employee payments were not included, arguing that the budget should be treated as a deficit rather than a surplus.
Criticising the budget preparation process, Kudachi said earlier discussions in the council used to take place over several days, whereas now decisions are largely driven by officials. He added that former corporators are willing to share their experience if given an opportunity.
The association also raised concerns over alleged irregularities in taxation and fund utilisation. Kudachi claimed that property tax revisions, earlier done once every five years, are now being carried out annually. He accused officials of overstepping their authority and misusing State Finance Commission (SFC) grants.
Further, he alleged that the BCC has failed to levy taxes on road restoration works, mobile towers and LED streetlight installations, and questioned the effectiveness of the city’s command and control centre.
Rejecting claims of a fund shortage, Kudachi said the issue was a lack of political will. He alleged that more than 500 BCC-owned sites have been encroached upon or fraudulently sold using fake documents, and offered to provide details to help recover them.
He also questioned the status of funds contributed by the BCC nearly 25 years ago for a permanent water supply project, asking why fresh funds are being sought without accounting for earlier contributions.
Former mayor Nagesh Sateri alleged that council secretaries have no authority to revise property tax, while former mayor Shivajirao Sunthakar urged corporators to prioritise public welfare over personal interests.
Several former mayors, including Deepak Waghela, Malojirao Asthekar, Renu Killekar, Netaji Jadhav and Vandana Belagundkar, were present at the press conference.
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