DMC row heats up: Protesters set May 29 deadline, threaten bandh

Dharwad: The agitation demanding a separate municipal corporation for Dharwad intensified on Friday, with the Separate Dharwad Municipal Corporation (DMC) Struggle Committee setting May 29 as the deadline for the government to secure the Governor’s assent to the Bill proposing formation of the DMC.

The committee said the ongoing symbolic agitation will continue till May 29. If no favourable decision is taken by then, protesters will call for a Dharwad bandh on May 30 and intensify the stir with an indefinite hunger strike.
Senior counsel and activist BD Hiremath said the Bill is pending before the Governor for assent despite repeated appeals. “We met the Governor and urged him to expedite the process. He said legal opinion would be sought. Delaying assent on one pretext or another cannot be tolerated. It is the responsibility of the state government to ensure approval before May 29,” he said.

Hiremath questioned why the Governor is still delaying the decision despite Union minister Pralhad Joshi and MLA Arvind Bellad — who had earlier opposed bifurcation — meeting him and urging approval of the Bill. He also criticised BJP corporators for not joining the agitation.

Warning Dharwad corporators against remaining indifferent, Hiremath said all elected representatives should extend non-partisan support to the movement. Otherwise, a campaign will be launched against them during the forthcoming municipal elections, he added.

The indefinite protest launched by the struggle committee along with several non-political organisations entered its eighth day on Friday.

On Thursday, protesters carried a board reading ‘Dharwad City Corporation Office’ in a procession from the protest venue to the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) office and symbolically installed it at the entrance.

Environmental activist Suresh Heblikar, who extended support to the agitation, said Dharwad has a distinct identity in terms of environment, biodiversity, literature, education and culture, and requires a separate corporation for holistic development and preservation of heritage structures.

Tension prevailed briefly in the evening when officials attempted to remove the board, prompting protesters to gather outside the HDMC office and oppose the move.