Language issue surfaces again during BCC meeting | Hubballi News
Belagavi: The Kannada-Marathi issue surfaced again during the council meeting of the Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) on Thursday. Controversy erupted after the MES corporator demanded that BCC documents be provided in the Marathi language. Kannada councillors immediately opposed the statement. Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), led by Deepak Gudaganatti, staged a protest outside the BCC office, demanding the cancellation of the membership of MES corporators who raised the language issue in BCC.The demand of providing the proceedings and notice of the meeting in Marathi during the general council meeting led to a heated debate at the city corporation meeting. As the meeting began, members supported by the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), including Ravi Salunkhe, Vaishali Bhatkande, and Shivaji Mandolikar, demanded that the proceedings of the meeting and the notice to attend the meeting be given in Marathi. The BJP and Congress corporators objected to this and demanded that Kannada be made mandatory.Corporators, including Ramesh Sontakki, stated that there are many genuine Kannadigas in Akkalkot and Jatt in Maharashtra. However, the documents are being issued in Marathi. In such a situation, the BCC should not allow the proceedings in Marathi. The members expressed their anger and demanded that those who took an anti-national stance be disqualified.As the issue of Marathi speakers rioting in the BCC went viral on social media, KRV activists started protesting at the premises of BCC. KRV activists demanded the dismissal of the pro-Marathi members. The police, who rushed to the spot, discussed the matter with the KRV activists.Several civic issues, including encroachment, the collection of rent, and court issues of disputed properties of BCC, also came to the forefront of discussion in the meeting. Corporator Ravi Dhotre and ruling party leader Hanumant Kongali objected that the officials were negligent despite being instructed to follow the rules of law.Revenue department commissioner Reshma Talikoti said in her briefing that Rs 48 crore revenue was collected in the last four months from corporation properties. The issue of allowing agencies to collect land rent from street vendors was raised during the meeting. Members instructed the officials not to allow the agencies selected through tender to pay money in instalments.Members received information from BCC officials regarding the repair of 786 borewells in the city and the functioning of RO plants. MLA Abhay Patil objected that the ruling party in the state is not providing funds for development works. There is no money to drill new borewells.MLA Asif (Raju) Sait, mayor Mangesh Pawar, deputy mayor Vani Vilas Joshi, commissioner Shubha B, and officials attended the meeting.
