Dharwad residents to wait another 30 months for separate city corporation
Dharwad: The state cabinet has given the approval for the separation of the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation and the establishment of a new Dharwad Municipal Corporation (DMC). However, several tech-nical hurdles have emerged that may delay the full division of powers. Discussions are circulating about potentially waiting another two and a half years before the complete formation of the Hubli Municipal Corporation (HMC) and DMC, raising questions among officers.
Elections for 82 wards of Hubli Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) were held in September 2021. The Returning Officer had declared all elected members as representatives of the same ward, subse-quently issuing them certificates. This arrangement has now been amended, leaving no possibility for these members to receive new certificates or take an oath as members of the separate Hubli or Dharwad Municipal Corporations. Consequently, these 82 members will continue to serve as repre-sentatives of the HDMC until May 28, 2027.
This marks the first time in the state’s history that a local body such as a municipal corporation has been divided in the middle of its term, leaving many uncertainties. Experts have pointed out that vari-ous legal complications may arise throughout this process.
As the new corporations for Hubli and Dharwad have not yet been formally established, the wards of the existing municipality have merely been divided. There are opinions suggesting that the 56 Hubli members and 26 Dharwad members may not need to take the oath again. However, legal questions remain regarding how individuals who previously took an oath as HU-Dha members can now transition to members of DMC or HMC. There are also significant uncertainties regarding the upcoming mayoral elections. The current mayor of HDMC has five months remaining in their term, and power division is not expected to take place before this period ends. Meanwhile, the state government has issued a notification designating reservations for the mayor and deputy mayor positions for the next two terms. In the 24th term, the mayoral post is reserved for a general woman, with the deputy mayor’s position reserved for Category 2B. For the 25th term, the reservations are set for SC women and general women, respectively. If the corporations are separated before these elections, the government may need to cancel its prior notification, which could lead to disputes.
Should the elections follow the stated reservations, there are dilemmas regarding whether the de-clared categories will apply to the Hubballi or Dharwad corporations. If the separation occurs in 2025, the government will face numerous challenges. Thus, it is probable that separate elections will only occur after the current governing body’s term concludes in 2027.
Historically, the head office of the HDMC was in Hubballi, simplifying administration for that area. However, establishing the corporation in Dharwad necessitates some infrastructural development to support its operations. While office spaces for the Commissioner, Mayor, and Deputy Mayor are avail-able, there are currently no accommodations for committee chairpersons and key officials. Additional facilities will require funding, and separate commissioners must be appointed to oversee the legal completion of the division.
According to Eresh Anchatageri, former mayor of HU-Dha Corporation, there is no legal basis to amend the oath-taking declaration of HDMC members. Given that the government has already announced reservations for the mayor and deputy mayor roles, the division of powers cannot occur until the peri-od ending May 28, 2027.
Dr. Pandurang Patil, also a former mayor of HDMC, mentioned that as the HDMC has indeed been di-vided and not newly formed, existing members may not need to retake their oaths. Nonetheless, ad-justments to the mayoral and deputy mayoral reservations will be necessary, indicating that the corpo-ration may continue functioning as HDMC for an additional two and a half years. In this regard a notification on the formation of the Hubballi and Dharwad Corporations is expected soon,- A sub-committee will be formed to address legal challenges and physical allocations should be issued .- Funds for infrastructure development for the Dharwad office and ward enhancements will be announced in the upcoming budget should be done.