Kalaburagi to be developed into smart city with Rs 1,685 cr investment: CM Siddaramaiah
Kalaburagi (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the state government is planning to develop Kalaburagi into a smart city with an estimated investment of Rs 1,685 crore, which will improve the quality of life for its residents and attract investment in backward districts.
Under the Mahatma Gandhi Nagar Vikas Yojana 2.0, Rs 200 crore each is being provided for basic infrastructure development in Kalaburagi and Ballari municipal corporations, he said.
The chief minister delivered his address on the occasion of 'Kalyana Karnataka Amrut Mahotsav' and the 10th anniversary of giving special status to Kalyana Karnataka under Article 371(J) of the Constitution after hoisting the national flag on the Police Parade Ground here.
He noted that though India gained independence in 1947, the districts of Bidar, Kalaburagi, and Raichur, under the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad, secured freedom only a year later, adding, Kalyana Karnataka region joined the country due to the sacrifices of many freedom fighters, the "vision" of Jawaharlal Nehru, and the "strength" of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
"I pay respect to all the great people who fought for the liberation of Kalyana Karnataka," the chief minister said.
A scheme called "Kalyana Patha" has been developed to improve road connectivity and rural development in the Kalyana Karnataka region, he said.
Under this, the state government will build 1,150 km of roads in rural Assembly constituencies at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore.
The government is ready to provide all necessary support to establish an AIIMS institute in Raichur. "We urge the Central government to take immediate steps to start AIIMS here," Siddaramaiah said.
For 2024-25, the State government aims to generate 4.85 crore person-days of work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in the seven districts of this region. So far, 3.43 crore person-days have been generated, providing employment to 13.69 lakh people.
To develop tourism in the famous Anjanadri Hill and surrounding areas of Koppal district, Rs 100 crore will be provided, the chief minister said.
"In Ballari, we will organise unorganised jeans industries and develop a Jeans Apparel Park and Common Facility Centre to upgrade them to world-class standards," Siddaramaiah said.
In the 2024-25 budget, the government has allocated Rs 5,000 crore to the Kalyana Karnataka Development Board.
"This amount has been approved for development projects in the region, and we expect a new phase of progress," the chief minister said.
A committee led by Professor Govind Rao has been formed to study the economic and social changes in the region and suggest ways to reduce inequalities, he added.
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First Muslim IAS officer from Kashmir Valley Mohd Shafi Pandit passes away
Srinagar (PTI): Mohammad Shafi Pandit, the first Muslim IAS officer from Kashmir, passed away on Thursday. He was 80.
Pandit was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Delhi after he was detected with cancer about a month ago, his family said.
Pandit was the first Muslim from Kashmir to qualify the civil services examinations in 1969. His final assignment with the government was as the head of autonomous Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission.
In the bureaucratic circles, Pandit was widely viewed as a chief secretary that Jammu and Kashmir never had.
The soft-spoken Pandit was part of many civil society and philanthropic initiatives in Kashmir. He also played a key role in rolling out of the Mandal Commission report as he was the joint secretary in the Government of India in 1992.
Pandit's body will be flown to Srinagar later in the day.
"If possible, he will be laid to rest today," his family said.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh condoled the death of the IAS officer.
"My good friend of many years. Mohammed Shafi Pandit, has just passed away.He was a 1969-batch IAS officer who occupied important positions with distinction, both in J&K and at the Centre," Ramesh wrote in a post on X.
"After retirement, he devoted himself to various public causes and emerged as a leading voice of civil society. Soft-spoken and extremely gentle by nature, he epitomised the glorious composite heritage of J&K and was a role model for youth from the Valley to join the civil services," the Congress leader added.
