CM Siddaramaiah vows Rs 70,000 cr irrigation boost, Secretariat for Kalyana Karnataka
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Kalaburagi (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday greeted citizens on Kalyana Karnataka Liberation Day and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the region’s all-round development by outlining key initiatives, budget allocations and upcoming projects.
He said the occasion was a reminder of the sacrifices made by freedom fighters who fought for the liberation of Hyderabad-Karnataka from the Nizam’s rule.
“Whilst the rest of India was celebrating independence on 15 August 1947, this region was still not free. The atrocities of the Razakars had reached unbearable limits,” he said, recalling that the region was integrated into the Indian Union thanks to the determination of local heroes and the resolve of the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the then Home Minister Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel.
The CM paid homage to several freedom fighters, including Sharanagouda Inamdar, Raja Venkatappa Nayak, Dattatreya Avaradi, Shivamurthy Swamy Alavandi, Matamari Nagappa and many others, calling their sacrifices “unforgettable”.
Turning to development, Siddaramaiah said since the introduction of Article 371-J in 2013, 1,19,923 posts have been identified for direct recruitment, of which 84,620 were already filled.
“Now that the issue of internal reservation has been resolved, we intend to fill the remaining vacancies in a phased manner.”
For 2025–26, the state government has allocated Rs 5,000 crores to the KKRDB. “Thus far, over Rs 14,000 crores have been utilised for 41,103 works, with 32,985 completed,” he said.
Siddaramaiah highlighted that his government had invested nearly Rs one lakh crore in its flagship guarantee schemes.
Under the Shakti scheme alone, 77.6 crore women have availed free bus travel at a cost of Rs 2,100 crores.
Gruha Lakshmi had benefitted 24.78 lakh women heads of households with Rs 9,650 crores disbursed, while Anna Bhagya had spent over Rs 3,200 crores in the region and Yuva Nidhi has provided Rs 172 crores to 5.75 lakh unemployed graduates and diploma holders.
On irrigation, Siddaramaiah said his government has approved land acquisition for Phase III of the Krishna Upper Canal Project through farmer consent and would raise the height of the Almatti Dam.
“This decision will provide irrigation to over 15 lakh acres across Raichur, Yadgir, Kalaburagi and Koppal. We will invest over Rs 70,000 crores in the next three years,” he said.
He also said "a Kalyana Karnataka Secretariat would be established in Kalaburagi", with a formal notification to be issued next week.
“The development of Karnataka is incomplete without the development of Kalyana Karnataka,” Siddaramaiah concluded, urging citizens to work together for “a new India and a new Karnataka”.
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Karnataka, France explore deeper ties in AI, aerospace, defence manufacturing
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government and France on Tuesday discussed expanding collaboration to strengthen technology infrastructure and development, artificial intelligence, and defence manufacturing.
Karnataka Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister Priyank Kharge met Anne Le Hénaff, Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs, Government of France, in Bengaluru.
The meeting focused on expanding collaboration in innovation, skilling, AI, aerospace and defence manufacturing, startup ecosystems and digital governance, with both sides expressing strong interest in building long-term, structured partnerships between Karnataka and France, according to a statement issued by Kharge’s office.
France highlighted its growing need for skilled engineers and technology professionals and expressed interest in partnering with Karnataka on structured talent development and skilling in emerging technologies, the statement said.
“The discussions built on the strong foundation of Indo-French collaboration in areas such as aerospace, animation and emerging technologies, including earlier engagements through Centres of Excellence, academic partnerships and startup exchange programmes,” it said.
The two sides also reviewed ongoing engagement with French innovation ecosystems and institutions, including incubation and innovation platforms in Paris.
Kharge outlined Karnataka’s vision to create dedicated innovation, skills and manufacturing corridors with global partners, particularly in the context of the Indo-French Year of Innovation.
He highlighted the state’s proposal to strengthen engagement through the Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) and to establish a physical institutional platform in Karnataka to support French startups, SMEs and MSMEs seeking market access, R&D collaboration and a long-term presence in India.
“A couple of areas where we can move quickly and decisively are skills, innovation and advanced manufacturing. We can work towards a skills corridor focused on emerging technologies, an innovation corridor linking our Centres of Excellence, incubators and research institutions, and a stronger partnership in aerospace and defence supply chains,” Kharge said.
“Bengaluru can be a gateway for French companies entering India, and Paris can be a gateway for our startups entering France and the European Union,” he added.
Hénaff said France’s approach to AI is guided by three priorities: building sustainable AI, ensuring AI serves the public interest, and strengthening the protection of children in the digital world.
“As we deepen our cooperation with Karnataka, we see strong opportunities to work together on responsible, trustworthy and inclusive AI by combining innovation, regulation and public policy to ensure technology benefits society while safeguarding our values,” she said.
