From The Hindu
Belgaum city, bordering Maharashtra, is the commercial hub and divisional headquarters of north Karnataka, ranking only second to Bangalore in terms of overall exports. The city has been projected as the second capital of the State. The government built the Suvarna Soudha on the outskirts in a stated move to ensure expeditious implementation of welfare schemes.
The tag of the second capital has, however, remained on paper. For instance, the delivery of services under the Sakala scheme shows that Belgaum is ranked 26th among the 30 districts in the State; one down from its rank in January 2013. Though the district ranked top in terms of awareness level (97 per cent) of the scheme, delivery of services has been abysmal.
Belgaum residents have reasons to feel disappointed and want the administration to reverse the downward trend.