Chief Minister Siddaramaiah receiving the guard of honour at the Kalyana Karnataka Utsav in Kalaburagi on September 17, 2024.
| Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI
The State government is planning to develop Kalaburagi City into a smart city with an estimated investment of ₹1,685 crore, which will improve the quality of life for its residents and attract investment in backward districts, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said.
He was addressing the gathering after hoisting the national flag at the Police Parade ground in Kalaburagi on September 17, 2024 to mark the 77th Kalyana Karnataka Liberation Day and the 10th anniversary of the Special Status accorded to Kalyana Karnataka under Article 371(J) of the Constitution.
Mr. Siddaramaiah listed the developmental works undertaken in the region in the last 10 years and also announced a few new projects in his address.
Allocations to KKRDB
“It has been 10 years since the 371(J) Constitutional Amendment was implemented to aid the backward Kalyana Karnataka region. After the State government started allocating sufficient funds to the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB), the region began seeing progress, and this was made possible by the efforts of All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge and the former Chief Minister late N. Dharam Singh,” he added.
Mr Siddaramaiah pointed out that from 2013-14 to 2024-25, the government had allocated ₹19,778 crores to the KKRDB, of which ₹13,229 crores were released, and ₹11,174 crores were spent.
“So far, 35,885 projects have been taken up, of which 27,264 have been completed and 8,621 projects are in progress. These numbers speak for the development of this region. In the 2024-25 budget, the State government has allocated ₹5,000 crore to the Kalyana Karnataka Development Board,” he said.
Infrastructure for healthcare and education
Reiterating his government’s commitment to improving healthcare and education sectors, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that a sum of ₹4,352 crores was spent between 2013-14 and 2023-24 on education infrastructure, quality improvement, and building hostels from primary school to university to eradicate illiteracy and improve literacy in Kalyana Karnataka.
“Declaring the 2023-24 as the Year of Basic Education, a sum of ₹653 crores have been allocated for the Akshara Aavishkaar programme under which repairing and constructing schools, building additional classrooms, providing furniture, electrification, and constructing libraries in the region have been taken up,” he said.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah arrives at Kalaburagi Airport on Monday to participate in Kalyana Karnataka Liberation day celebrations and to hold Cabinet meetings here on September 17, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
ARUN KULKARNI
Building a regional health hub
The Chief Minister said that the State government, in line with the vision of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, is moving towards making Kalaburagi district a regional health hub, to bring high-quality healthcare facilities to the doorstep of people of the region.
“With the financial support of KKRDB, a branch of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research with a capacity of 371 beds is built in Kalaburagi and it will be inaugurated soon. A super-speciality hospital at an estimated cost of ₹163 crore will also come up in Kalaburagi city soon. The Congress-led government during its previous term had established the Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences, and a trauma care center,” he said.
“A sum of ₹220 crore was allocated for upgrading health centres and hospitals and adding 50 new ambulances. The Cabinet has approved ₹221 crore to establish a 150-bed children’s health unit in Kalaburagi with technical support from the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health and also a maternity and children’s hospital. To strengthen health services in Kalyana Karnataka, a sum of ₹916 crore has been allocated for building health centres, taluk and district hospitals, and supplying medical equipment from 2013-14 to 2023-24,” Mr Siddaramaiah added.
Expressing that the State government was ready to provide all necessary support to establish an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raichur, the Chief Minister urged the Union Government to take immediate steps to start the premier medical institute at Raichur.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge and other cabinet colleagues were present.
Published – September 17, 2024 03:36 pm IST
