Bengaluru, Sep 23: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board will be constituted in 10 days.

"The KKRDB will be constituted in the next 10 days. We will appoint a permanent secretary. Vacant posts of engineers will also be filled," Bommai said while participating in a debate in the Assembly on the development of Kalyana Karnataka, or the erstwhile Hyderabad Karnataka region comprising seven districts adjoining Telangana.

The CM said while Rs 1,500 crore has been released this year for the development of Kalyana Karnataka region, there was an opening balance of Rs 500 crore from 2020. Hence, a total of Rs 2,000 crore will be utilised for the purpose.

Bommai also assured the MLAs that all essential posts in KKRDB will be filled.

He also said the Hyderabad Karnataka Special Cell's office located in Bengaluru will be shifted to Kalaburagi.

Earlier, Congress MLA Priyank Kharge had alleged that Rs 100 crore from the KKRDB was transferred to the account of an NGO, ignoring transparency.

In his reply, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy conceded that violations have taken place, which will be probed.

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Mumbai, May 5: The BJP has written to the Election Commission of India seeking action against Congress and the opposition leader, Vijay Wadettiwar, for allegedly peddling lies and defaming its Mumbai North Central nominee and ex-26/11 prosecution lawyer Ujjwal Nikam.

Wadettiwar, the leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra legislative assembly, purportedly called Nikam an "anti-national" and accused him of hiding the information that then Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare wasn't killed by Kasab's bullet during the 26/11 terror attack, but fell to a bullet of a policeman affiliated to RSS.

His allegations were based on the book "Who Killed Karkare" written by retired police officer SM Mushriff.

"As a responsible leader, the opposition leader should desist from making such comments that can help the enemy nation," Nikam said.

Terming Wadettiwar's statements as "false and not based on facts", Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shekar claimed they were aimed at defaming Ujjwal Nikam and inciting emotions.

"We have written to the Election Commission of India seeking action against Wadettiwar who is a star campaigner (of Congress) and also against the Congress party for peddling lies," he added.

Shelar further said (Ajmal) Kasab was sentenced to death for killing innocent people after following a due process of law.

Kasab was the lone terrorist who was captured alive by Mumbai Police during the 26/11 terror attack by Pakistani terrorists in which at least 166 people were killed and several others were injured.

Shelar wondered whether Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray supported the statement made by the Congress leader.

A former special public prosecutor, Nikam had represented the state in high-profile cases like the Mumbai serial bomb blasts and the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

He is making his political foray from Mumbai North Central seat on a BJP ticket and is pitted against city Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad.