Located within Scheme No. 11, Devaraj Urs Colony was the inaugural project initiated by the Belagavi Urban Development Authority (BUDA) back in 1982. Regrettably, residents are now expressing their discontent, citing the colony's underdevelopment as evidence of both the city administration and BUDA's inadequate performance. They assert that the area's struggle for basic amenities underscores the need for urgent action and improved governance to uplift their living conditions. Residents have repeatedly appealed to officials for infrastructure improvements to no avail. Ward corporator Basavaraj Modagekar has promised to bring the issues to the attention of senior officers.
The Devaraj Urs Colony residents, located under the jurisdiction of the Belagavi City Corporation (BCC), took to the streets in protest on Sunday, calling for much-needed development in their area. Organized by the Devaraj Urs Colony Welfare Society, the demonstration saw residents raising their voices against the long-standing neglect of their locality. They issued a stern warning that if their demands went unanswered by officials, they would stage a blockade on the Bagalkot-Belagavi state highway, vowing to intensify their struggle.
Speaking passionately during the protest, residents lamented the lack of progress in their colony over the past four decades. The colony, designated as Scheme No. 11, marked the first project initiated by the Belagavi Urban Development Authority (BUDA) in 1982. Citizens voiced their frustration, attributing the lack of development to the underperformance of both the city administration and BUDA.
Comparatively newer areas and colonies, established long after Devaraj Urs Colony, have witnessed gradual development, leaving the residents here feeling left behind. The colony was handed over to the BCC by Buda without essential development work having taken place. Allegations abound that the funds allocated by BUDA for the colony's development remained unutilized, further exacerbating the shortage of basic amenities in the area, as claimed by the protesters.
Adding to the residents' grievances is the fact that Devaraj Urs Colony falls within the ambit of the Smart City project. However, despite the passage of time, the area still lacks a proper sewage and drainage system, leading to waterlogging issues during the rainy season. The colony also suffers from inadequate road connectivity, forcing motorists to resort to the narrow street road at Basavan Kudachi. A designated independent road connecting the colony to the city remains unbuilt. To compound matters, the colony receives drinking water only once every 10-12 days.
In an annual cycle, residents dutifully pay house tax to the city corporation. Yet, their appeals for essential infrastructure development have seemingly fallen on deaf ears, despite reaching out to local MLAs, Lok Sabha members, the minister-in-charge, the city corporation commissioner, and the deputy commissioner on numerous occasions.
Ward corporator Basavaraj Modagekar, who hurried to the protest site to receive the memorandum from the residents, acknowledged the long-standing issues faced by Devaraj Urs Colony. He pledged to escalate the matter to senior officers in a bid to address the persistent challenges faced by the colony's inhabitants.
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