Bengaluru, May 20 (PTI): Five railway stations in Karnataka will be among the 103 'Amrit stations' Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate on May 22 from Bikaner in Rajasthan.

According to an official statement, Munirabad in Koppal district, Bagalkot, Gadag, Gokak Road in Belagavi district and Dharwad are among the five stations to be developed under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS).

These 103 Amrit stations, situated in 86 districts across 18 states and union territories of India, have been developed at a cost of over Rs 1,100 crore, the statement said.

Over 1,300 stations are being redeveloped with modern facilities, designed to reflect regional architecture and enhance passenger amenities under the ABSS.

The redeveloped Amrit stations across India integrate modern infrastructure with cultural heritage, passenger-centric amenities including those for Divyangjan and sustainable practices to enhance the travel experience, it added.

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New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.

The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.

Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.

“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.

Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”

Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.

In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”

"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added. 

According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.

Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.