The Managing Director of Smart City in Belagavi faced a complaint lodged by the District Health Officer with the Tilakwadi Police Station. The complaint addressed the unauthorized activities taking place at the vaccine depot in Belagavi, where prior permission from the District Health Department was mandatory. Despite this requirement, development work was initiated without obtaining consent, leading to the removal of trees within the premises.
Dr. Mahesh Koni, the District Health and Family Welfare Officer, has proactively intervened to address the ongoing activities at the vaccine depot location. Lodging a formal complaint with the Tilakwadi Police, Dr. Koni has initiated necessary action. Subsequently, the police registered a case against the Managing Director of Belagavi Smart City Ltd., along with other individuals, under IPC section 420 related to fraud, alongside additional relevant sections, on the 19th of this month.
Despite Belagavi Smart City’s involvement in the development work at the Vaccine Depot site in Belagavi, their lack of transparency has raised concerns. When approached for clarification, the Managing Director failed to furnish any relevant details. Additionally, the Principal Secretary to the Government’s Health Department has formally requested information regarding the ongoing project, but unfortunately, no response has been received thus far.
The vaccine depot premises experienced an unfortunate incident of vandalism, where unauthorized individuals caused damage to the soil and trees. Dr. Koni, in response, has strongly advocated for legal measures to be taken against the responsible parties. Subsequently, the police promptly registered a criminal case in accordance with the incident.
The Smart City project has been veiled in secrecy, leaving various departments, including the forest department, devoid of any information regarding the nature of the work. The health department, too, remains uninformed about crucial details, including the e-tendering process. This alarming lack of transparency has raised concerns, emphasizing the urgent need to halt the ongoing work to safeguard the vaccine depot from potential harm, as stated by reliable sources.
The development of the vaccine depot by Smart City authorities, without obtaining appropriate permission or devising a comprehensive work plan, raises significant concerns. It seems that political influence played a pivotal role in this decision. Nonetheless, Guardian Minister Satish Jarkiholi has adopted a firm stance and has initiated an inquiry to investigate the situation thoroughly, demonstrating his commitment to addressing the matter seriously.
Amidst the Smart City project, environmentalists voiced their apprehensions, particularly regarding the tree felling activities at the vaccine depot, and escalated the matter to the Supreme Court. Despite assurances from Smart City officials that no trees would be harmed and over 90,000 trees would be planted, numerous trees were indeed cut down. Consequently, environmentalists filed complaints, triggering an investigation by the Guardian Minister, and a formal complaint was lodged at the Tilakwadi Police Station.
