BIDAR: The Basavakalyan Development Board is yet to start functioning, ten years after the idea of developing the historical town in Bidar district into a heritage centre was suggested.

Another Basava Jayanti has passed without the Government attempting to develop the land where the social reformer and poet Basaveshwara set up Anubhava Mantapa, said to be the first parliament of religions in the world, eight centuries ago.

The J.H. Patel Government had plans to develop Basavakalyan on the lines of Kudalasangama in Bagalkot district. The late Patel had promised to sanction Rs. 6 crores for setting up the board. But neither was the board constituted nor the money released.

Nothing was done by the S.M. Krishna Government, except for a promise by the Chief Minister during the Hungund Assembly byelection that the board would be set up as soon as possible. This promise was not kept either.

The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President, B. Janardhana Poojary, and the Union Minister M.V. Rajashekaran, both Rajya Sabha members, had promised to release Rs. 10 lakhs each under the local area development scheme. `Mukhyamantri' Chandru, MLC, had also promised to release Rs. 25,000. But the money was not released as the board was not set up.

The coalition Government led by N. Dharam Singh did not do much till July 2004. An Ordinance setting up the board was promulgated then. But it lapsed in December as the Government failed to regularise it with legislation. The Basavakalyan Development Board Bill was finally passed in the Legislative Council in January 2005 while it was passed in the Assembly in April.

But the board is yet to start functioning as neither have board members been nominated nor the Commissioner appointed. According to the Act, the Commissioner, an officer of the rank of deputy secretary, will have the magisterial powers of the executive officer of a City Municipal Council.

The reasons for the board not being formed are said to be many. Mallikarjun Khuba, Basavakalyan MLA, blames the office-bearers of the Basaveshwara Temple Trust for the delay. The office-bearers were opposed to the establishment of the board as the trust would lose control over the temple. But now they have been convinced and have agreed to cooperate. It has also been suggested to the Government that the trust chairman be made a member of the board, he said.

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