[Belgaum] Rs 15.2-cr action plan for infrastructure

Source: Times of India

BELGAUM: An action plan of Rs 35.47 crore has been readied to develop basic infrastructure in Belgaum city in the wake of World Kannada Meet (WKM) scheduled here for the second week of March.

Belgaum City Corporation (BCC), the public works department (PWD) and Belgaum Zilla Panchayat (ZP) have submitted the plan to the district administration, which will be forwarded to the government for sanction.

Of the Rs 15.27-crore plan, Rs 4.48 crore has been earmarked for road development, and Rs 4.87 crore for footpaths. Plans are also afoot to develop gardens, build road dividers, additional footpaths at Fort Lake, renovate main market, Kuvempu Hall, and painting of roadside walls, etc.

PWD has demanded Rs 18.80 crore for taking up works on 24 roads in the city. This apart, it will repair and paint 27 government office buildings off main roads at a cost of Rs 1.60 crore. With an estimated cost of Rs 2.50 crore, it plans to construct five arches at the entrances to the city __ near Sambra Road, Bachi Road, Peeranawadi Road, KLE Road and near Sankam Hotel.

PWD will also develop the district stadium, the main venue of the event. Development of pavilion gallery, hand rail, building toilets, waterproof pandal, VIP gallery, etc, are some of its other responsibilities. Parking space for vehicles will be made available on KEB premises.

ZP has sought Rs 1.40 crore to take up repair work of 40 government schools and hostel buildings. It will have to ensure toilet and drinking water facilities at these buildings as they would turn lodge for the delegates. A road will also be built between Desur Cross and Golf Cross.

"It's a preliminary action plan and there are chances of addition and deletion of some works," said DC Ekroop Kaur. The CM may hold a meeting with various committees formed for the purpose in Bangalore on January 7, she added.

Green City project to give Belgaum a new look

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/24/stories/2009062453110300.htm

Belgaum: The Belgaum City Corporation (BCC), Belgaum Urban Development Authority (BUDA) and the Forest Department have jointly come up with project “Green City” with a view to change the face of the city.

The project, which aims at planting 50,000 different species of plants at a cost of Rs. 1.12 crore, has been conceived with the support of MLAs Abhay Kumar Patil, Sanjay Patil and Feroz Sait representing Belgaum South, Belgaum Rural and Belgaum North assembly constituencies, respectively.

The salient features of the project were presented to a select section of the Belgaum city at a seminar organised under the banner of Belgaum Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Patil complimented the Forest Department, BCC and BUDA for the project. But, he warned that it should not be another “vanamahotsava”, which only served the purpose of publicity.

He cited examples of certain villages where green cover was developed on the basis of participatory approach, involving residents. Consequentially, more than 70 per cent of the saplings planted had become huge trees.

Panchakshari Hiremath, landscape designer from Dharwad, disputed the claims of the Forest Department on its tree plantation programme.

He said: “If the claims of the Forest and Horticulture Departments on tree plantation programmes during last five to six decades are to be believed, then no space should have been left to plant even a single tree.”

However, he said the project was poised to change the face of Belgaum city if implemented and maintained in an effective manner.

Earlier, Deputy Conservator of Forest Girish Hosur highlighted the salient features of the project and said the average cost of each tree proposed to be planted would account for Rs. 224 for a maintenance period of three years.