Equipment failures disrupt Belagavi civic body meeting

Technical failures disrupted the monthly meeting of the Belagavi City Corporation on Wednesday, as councillors and officials dealt with defective microphones, a malfunctioning air-conditioner and faulty fans. The meeting, chaired by Mayor Preeti Kamakar, was affected from the outset by microphone problems. Councillors said their voices were either inaudible or distorted, making it difficult to conduct discussions.

Kamakar criticised officials for failing to repair the microphones despite instructions issued at the previous meeting. BJP councillor Ravi Dotre also questioned the corporation’s maintenance arrangements. The air-conditioner in the council hall was not functioning properly, causing discomfort as temperatures rose.

A cooler was switched on briefly, but it interfered with the microphone system and was subsequently turned off. Officials then turned on the fans, but the problems added to the disruption of proceedings. The council had been scheduled to discuss civic issues, development works and basic amenities for residents.

Councillors urged the administration to maintain the microphones, air-conditioning system and fans properly. They also called for all equipment to be inspected before meetings rather than repaired only after proceedings had begun. The supplied material did not say whether the corporation adopted any specific resolution on the maintenance failures or set a deadline for repairs.