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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Operation Sindoor: India carries out military strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan, PoK
New Delhi (PTI): Retaliating against the Pahalgam terror attack two weeks ago, Indian armed forces on early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including in Bahawalpur, a stronghold of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed.
The military strikes were carried out under Operation Sindoor, the defence ministry said in a statement at 1.44 am. It said the actions by the Indian armed forces were "focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature".
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the Indian missile strikes an "act of war" and said his country has every right to give a "befitting reply".
The Indian statement said, "A little while ago, the Indian Armed forces launched 'Operation Sindoor' hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed."
"No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution," it said.
Sources added that the strikes on all nine targets were successful and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was monitoring Operation Sindoor closely.
Among the nine sites targeted are the JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba's in Muridke, both in Pakistan Punjab, officials said.
India's actions come two weeks after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that triggered widespread outrage in India and abroad.
"These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were murdered," the defence ministry statement said.
"We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable," it said.
In a post on 'X' in Hindi shortly after the strikes, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Long live Mother India!" (Bharat Mata Ki Jai)".
"Justice is Served," the Indian Army said in its post.
Pakistan Army spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said missile strikes were fired by India at Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Bahawalpur.
Some time ago, India launched air strikes in in Bahwalpur's Ahmed East area, Kotli and Muzaffarabad at three places from the air, he told ARY News channel.
"All of our air force jets are airborne. This cowardly and shameful attack was carried out from within India's airspace. They were never allowed to come and intrude into the space of Pakistan," he said.
"Let me say it unequivocally: Pakistan will respond to this at a time and place of its own choosing. This heinous provocation will not go unanswered," he added.
Sources in the Indian military establishment said all air defence units have been put on alert along the frontier with Pakistan.
Following the operation, India reached out to several leading countries, including the US, Russia, the UK, UAE and Saudi Arabia and briefed them about the military strike on the nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir, the sources said.
"Senior Indian officials have spoken to their counterparts in a number of countries to brief them on the steps taken by India," said a source.
The operation came days after Modi gave the armed forces full freedom to respond to the Pahalgam terror attack.
In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass, the prime minister on April 29 gave the armed forces "complete operational freedom" to decide on the mode, targets and timing of the response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
Modi also emphasised the national resolve to deal a "crushing blow to terrorism".
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju tweets, "#OperationSindoor"
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2025
(Video Source: Kiren Rijiju/X) pic.twitter.com/kdBY2xeHqN
#WATCH | Visuals from an undisclosed location in J&K as the Indian Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.… pic.twitter.com/3D20pDXkND
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2025
