Bengaluru, Jun 14: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said priority should be given to the implementation of complementary projects to improve the Human Development Index of the Kalyana Karnataka region.

The suggestion came as he reviewed the progress of Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board at his home office Krishna here.

He said emphasis should be laid on areas in which we are lagging behind. Emphasis should also be on infrastructure development at hostels, anganwadis and residential schools.

In a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office, Siddaramaiah said the available grants should be spent on a priority areas. Roads, drinking water, irrigation and other infrastructure should also be prioritised.

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"It is our responsibility to give the necessary approvals from the finance department. The district in-charge minister should review the progress once a month and send the report to the board. District in-charge secretaries should also conduct progress review. Anganwadis, hostels, schools, hospitals should be visited and inspected," he said.

Siddaramaiah also pointed out the need for coordination between district in-charge ministers and secretaries.

He told officials that tenders should be called immediately for the approved works for which tenders have not been called and said they (works) should be evaluated.

According to officials, for the year 2023-24, the largest grant of Rs 3,000 crore has been released to Kalyan Karnataka Regional Development Board (KKRDB). A sum of Rs 2009.53 crore including initial charges have been spent during this period.

Chairman of the board Ajay Singh said this is the highest expenditure incurred till now since the formation of the board.

He further said Rs 2,885.9 crore is currently available with the board. Since the formation of the board, till now, 35,724 works have been approved and 26,418 works have been completed. In the year 2023-24, out of 6,468 works, 136 works were completed and 3,226 were in progress.

He explained that 3,106 works are to be started. Regular progress review of pending works should be done and any bottlenecks in implementation should be removed.

The Chief Minister has directed that the pending 3,528 works should be started by July-end.

In the meeting with KKRDB officials, which was also attended by some Ministers, Siddaramaiah suggested more emphasis should be given to education, health and job creation.

Singh said there is a demand for primary health centres and added that it has been decided to focus on this.

The Chief Minister has directed to submit a proposal for setting up primary health centres as per prescribed norms.

The CM has also suggested focus should be on development of schools in Kalyana Karnataka region under the corporate social responsibility and the administrative departments should sanction the establishment of high school, undergraduate and graduate colleges, he directed.

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Lucknow (PTI): Pacer Akash Singh caught the eye with his unique celebration during Lucknow Super Giants' win over Chennai Super Kings, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket after a wicket, a gesture he said was aimed at "motivating" himself and "asserting dominance" over batters.

The left-arm pacer pulled out a scrappy piece of paper after each of the three wickets he took in LSG seven-wicket win over CSK, with the message reading: "Akki on fire -- Akash knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket.

The 24-year-old, who began his IPL journey with Rajasthan Royals and was part of Chennai Super Kings’ title-winning campaign in 2023 before moving to Lucknow Super Giants, registered his best IPL figures with 3 for 26 on Friday.

"'Akki knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket', right?" Akash said when asked about the message on the piece of paper, adding that it serves as a source of motivation and helps him focus on dominating batters and delivering stronger performances for the team.

"Different things motivate different people. Some days I show the paper, some days I don't, but it reflects my mindset on that particular day. When you carry a piece of paper with something written on it, you manifest things and the most important part is when those manifestations actually materialise," he added.

Akash, who hails from Bharatpur in Rajasthan, said the strong backing from the Lucknow Super Giants support staff over the last two years had played a huge role in his growth as a cricketer.

"I've been with LSG for two years and the most important thing has been the backing from the coaches, even when I'm not in the playing XI. This year we have Bharat Arun sir, last year Zaheer sir was there...Tom Moody. The way they guide us, prepare us and keep us ready for opportunities is very important when there are 25 players in the squad," he said.

"When you are not playing, you naturally seek backing and every player wants to make the most of the opportunities he gets. The support from the captain also matters a lot and with Rishabh bhaiya backing you, the confidence grows and you are able to perform better," Akash said, referring to Rishabh Pant.

Akash said Pant had asked him to trust his strengths ahead of the clash against CSK.

"He told me that the new ball is my strength and that I can swing it both ways. So I just tried to make the best use of my skills. The wicket also had good bounce, so I focused on using the bouncer effectively,” added Akash.

On his success against CSK, Akash said his experience of playing in the IPL since 2020, including a stint with CSK, helped him understand the opposition batters better, while backing his own strengths with the ball also played a key role in his impressive spell.

"Obviously, when you play in the IPL and have shared the dressing room with some players, you understand their strengths and weaknesses. My focus was first to back my own strengths, then exploit their weaknesses and also make the best use of what the wicket was offering," Akash said.

Akash said he had sensed over the last two-three games that an opportunity could come his way after being repeatedly told to "be ready", though he admitted he was unfortunate not to get a chance earlier.

"Two days before the match, during practice, I was told to be ready," he said.

Clarifying that he had not been carrying the piece of paper in anticipation, Akash said he often notes down thoughts that could help improve his game..

"Whenever I’m alone or about to sleep, any thought that comes to my mind which can help my cricket, I write it down. The other night I got this thought and jotted it down on paper," he added.