Karnataka - Belgaum   

Disbursals not disclosed: BUDA commissioner

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELGAUM, SEPT. 29. The Belgaum Urban Development Authority (BUDA) Commissioner, D.B. Naik, has said that he had not brought to the notice of either the board members or the chairman about the payments to contractors and expenditure on development works made by him from February till date this year.

Speaking to presspersons here on Wednesday, he said the BUDA had spent Rs. 6.28 crores on different works. Of this, Rs. 3.7 crores was spent on roads, drinking water supply schemes, electricity lines and sewage lines and the balance went as compensation for land acquisition Rs. 62.52 lakhs, refund of deposits Rs. 45.46 lakhs and salary and other administrative expenditure Rs. 1.4 crores.

On the allegation of certain board members and the chairman, Rajendra Desai, that the officials had not bothered to bring to the notice of the board or chairman while making such large payments, he said under the provisions, it was not required for him to inform the board or chairman about the payments.

However, he would put the accounts before the board meeting, which was yet to be convened. He claimed that he had taken the approval of the chairman for certain development works early in January this year.

To a question on a Lokayukta inquiry against him, he agreed that there was a case against him when he was the Commissioner of Belgaum City Corporation five years ago. He had stopped payments in respect of some bogus bills then which had earned him the wrath of some affected members.

"However, such inquiries came when one wants to do good work,'' he said.

He said the S.M. Krishna Government had nominated three members, Shivangouda Patil, D.T. Desai and R.T. Patil, and Mr. Rajendra Desai but they had not resigned after the Assembly was dissolved.

He also spoke about plans to construct a ring road for the city. So far, during last 10 years, of the 45-km stretch, survey in respect on only nine kilometres had been completed.

The BUDA needed to make payments for compensation in respect of 65 acres of land to be acquired for the ring road. The BUDA had also sent a proposal in respect of Scheme No 56 for the distribution of 1,200 housing sites to the beneficiaries.

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Disbursals not disclosed: BUDA commissioner

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