Karnataka cabinet clears projects worth Rs 3,400 cr, Bengaluru division gets major share
Chikkaballapura, Jul 2 (PTI): The Karnataka cabinet, in a meeting held atop the Nandi Hills here, on Wednesday approved development projects worth Rs 3,400 crores, of which Rs 2,050 crores were earmarked for districts falling under Bengaluru division alone, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said.
A key decision taken at the meeting was to rename Bangalore City University as Dr Manmohan Singh Bengaluru City University, in honour of the former Prime Minister, as proposed in the Budget.
The cabinet meeting was held atop the Nandi Hills here under Bengaluru division, as per the government's decision to hold such meetings in all the four revenue divisions of the state.
"We discussed and took decisions on 90 per cent of the subjects related to the Bengaluru division in this cabinet meeting. Projects or development works worth Rs 3,400 crores were approved, and out of this Rs 2,050 crores were for Bengaluru division alone," Siddaramaiah told reporters after the meeting.
Subjects related to education, health, drinking water, irrigation, lake filling projects were mainly deliberated and cleared by the cabinet, he added.
Deputy CM D K Shivakumar announced the formation of a Cabinet Sub-Committee under the chairmanship of Law Minister H K Patil to review the progress of the probe into illegal mining, recommend further steps to be taken, and submit a report to the government in a month's time.
Referring to Yettinahole project, the CM clarified it is primarily a drinking water project, and filling the lakes is secondary. The cabinet decided to first complete the project to provide drinking water to needy areas of Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, and Hassan districts in two years.
Noting that drinking water will be provided to 75 lakh people in 9 districts under this project, he said, out of 24.1 TMC of water, 14 TMC is required for drinking water.
A revised estimate of Rs 23,251 crores has been made for the Yettinahole Project, of which Rs 17,147 crores have been spent so far, Siddaramaiah further said, while overall about Rs 8,000 crore is required for completing the remaining project work, about Rs 6,000 crore is remaining after spending.
"The cost has increased due to land acquisition. The cabinet discussed this, and the matter (on providing remaining funds) will be brought before the next cabinet through the Finance department," he added.
The cabinet has also given its nod for the establishment of 31 residential schools at an outlay of Rs 1125.25 crores for the educational advancement of children of registered workers of the Karnataka Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board.
It has also been decided to upgrade 8 Primary health care (PHC) in new taluks into Community Health Centres (CHCs) at an estimated cost of Rs 46 crore, the CM said.
Approval has been given to establish a high-tech flower market of international standards at a cost of Rs 141.5 crore by APMC in Chikkaballapur.
Construction of two hostels in Bangalore at a cost of Rs 10 crore to provide training including accommodation for candidates from backward classes for competitive exams like IAS and IPS was approved.
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Kangana Ranaut sparks row: Claims Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem
New Delhi: A significant political controversy has erupted following the Modi government's decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. The row was further fueled by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who, while defending the name change, erroneously claimed that Mahatma Gandhi had made the devotional song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" India’s national anthem.
The central government has rebranded the flagship rural employment scheme from MGNREGA to the "Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission," abbreviated as VB-G RAM G. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme has been termed an insult to the Father of the Nation by the Congress and other opposition parties.
When questioned by the media outside Parliament regarding the opposition's allegations, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut defended the government's decision by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's devotion to Lord Ram.
"How is naming it 'Ram Ji' an insult to Gandhi ji?" Ranaut asked. "Mahatma Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem to organize the entire country. Therefore, this is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi? The government is fulfilling his dream by giving it the name of Ram."
Ranaut's claim regarding the national anthem was immediately seized upon by the opposition. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the video of Ranaut’s statement on social media, tweeting sarcastically, "Come on brother, today we learned a new national anthem! The BJP is full of such gems."
Social media users also trolled the MP for the factual error. One user quipped, "Kangana ji forgot to mention that Bapu made this the national anthem after the country got independence in 2014," while another commented that the party finds people who "don't use their brains while forwarding WhatsApp messages."
Beyond the social media mockery, senior Congress leaders criticised the renaming on ideological grounds. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the move.
"The biggest irony is that Mahatma Gandhi was a lifelong devotee of Lord Ram and said 'Hey Ram' in his last moments," Gehlot wrote. "Today, the central government is making a despicable attempt to sideline Gandhi ji under the guise of the same 'Ram' name (VB-G RAM G), which is highly condemnable."
मनरेगा का नाम बदलने की केंद्र सरकार की कवायद महात्मा गांधी के प्रति उनकी ओछी मानसिकता और असम्मान का प्रमाण है। सरकार पहले 'पूज्य बापू' के नाम का शिगूफा छोड़ती है और फजीहत होने पर अब 'विकसित भारत-गारंटी फॉर रोजगार एंड आजीविका मिशन (VB-G RAM G)' जैसा नाम थोपना चाहती है। बार-बार नाम…
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) December 15, 2025
गांधी जी ने ‘रघुपति राघव राजा राम’ को लेकर नेशनल एंथम बनाया था
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) December 16, 2025
BJP MP कंगना रनौत
चलो भाई आज नया नेशनल एंथम भी पता चला है!
BJP में एक से एक शिरोमणि भरे पड़े हैं 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/9DvyV5xLb1
