Poll-bound Karnataka gets Rs 5,300 cr aid for Upper Bhadra project in Union Budget
Bengaluru (PTI): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday announced the Centre would provide Rs 5,300 crore assistance for the Upper Bhadra project in Karnataka.
In her budget speech in Parliament, she said: "In the drought prone central regions of Karnataka, a central assistance of Rs 5,300 crore will be given for the Upper Bhadra Project."
According to State officials, the project envisages lifting of 17.40 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water from river Thunga to Bhadra reservoir and 29.90 TMC from Bhadra reservoir.
Expressing gratitude, Bommai in a tweet said, "On behalf of whole of Karnataka I thank the Finance Minister @nsitharaman and the union government led by Prime Minister Mr @narendramodi for announcing a grant of Rs 5,300 crore for the state's flagship Upper Bhadra project in this year's union budget."
Bommai had repeatedly urged the union government to declare the Upper Bhadra project as a national project as "it will help get a central grant of Rs 16,000 crore".
He had also met Sitharaman, a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, multiple times and requested her to allocate funds for the project.
The central regions of Karnataka often face drought situations despite the presence of two perennial rivers Tunga and Bhadravathi, which become Tungabhadra after their convergence, and will get a respite with the implementation of the project, officials added.
Assembly elections are due in Karnataka by May.
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CM Siddaramaiah, FM Nirmala Sitharaman lead polio vaccination drive in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman led the statewide pulse polio vaccination drive on Sunday.
While Siddaramaiah kicked off the campaign along with state Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Home Minister G Parameshwara at his residence 'Kaveri' here, Sitharaman, who is in Vijayanagara district in the state, holding Chintan Shivir, administered pulse polio drops to children below five years of age in Kamalapura.
"Smt @nsitharaman launched the Polio Immunisation Drive in Kamalapura, Karnataka, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to safeguarding child health and ensuring a polio-free India," a post on her 'X' account said.
The post further said that children under five years of age were administered Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) drops, "reinforcing the collective effort to protect future generations through timely immunisation."
According to the details shared by the health departments, about 62.4 lakh children have been identified for it.
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"Under the routine immunization programme, every Child is given 5 doses of OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine) and 3 doses of IPV (inactivated injectable polio vaccine) and Government of Karnataka is committed that no child should miss these doses," a government statement said.
Apart from all hospitals in the state, special focus will be given to immunise children living in villages, hilly areas, brick kilns, slums, migrant areas, farmhouses, urban slums. Booths will also be set up in railway stations, metro stations, airports and Seaports, the statement said.
The state health department has set up 33,258 booths and deployed 1,030 mobile teams, 2,096 transit teams, 1,13,115 vaccinators and 7,322 Supervisors.
All children below five years of age will be administered the oral polio vaccine on December 21, 2025.
"Even if your child has received any number of doses of OPV before, it is very essential to immunise your child again during this round," the department said.
In order to allay concerns, the department said the polio vaccine is completely safe and people should not to believe in any false rumours.
Smt @nsitharaman launched the Polio Immunization Drive in Kamalapura, Karnataka, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to safeguarding child health and ensuring a polio-free India.
— Nirmala Sitharaman Office (@nsitharamanoffc) December 21, 2025
On the occasion, children under five years of age were administered Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV)… pic.twitter.com/PN4IJUGtnn
ಗೃಹಕಚೇರಿ ಕೃಷ್ಣಾದಲ್ಲಿ "ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಲಸಿಕಾ ದಿನ"ವನ್ನು ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೆ ಪಲ್ಸ್ ಪೋಲಿಯೊ ಲಸಿಕೆ ಹಾಕುವ ಮೂಲಕ ಉದ್ಘಾಟಿಸಿದೆ.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) December 21, 2025
ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಬ್ಬರೂ ತಮ್ಮ 5 ವರ್ಷದೊಳಗಿನ ಮಕ್ಕಳಿದ ತಪ್ಪದೇ ಪೋಲಿಯೊ ಲಸಿಕೆ ಹಾಕಿಸುವ ಮೂಲಕ "ಪೋಲಿಯೊ ಮುಕ್ತ ಭಾರತ"ದ ನಮ್ಮ ಅಭಿಯಾನಕ್ಕೆ ಬೆಂಬಲವಾಗಿ ನಿಲ್ಲಬೇಕು ಎಂದು ಮನವಿ ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇನೆ.
ಆರೋಗ್ಯ ಸಚಿವರಾದ ದಿನೇಶ್… pic.twitter.com/uClMoqOnyB
