Karnataka govt approves renaming of Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South
Bengaluru, May 22 (PTI): The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday approved the renaming of neighbouring Ramanagara district as 'Bengaluru South'.
Ramanagara, about 50 kms from here, will remain as the headquarters of the renamed district, which will also consist of Magadi, Kanakapura, Channapatna and Harohalli taluks.
"We have checked the rules, regulations and acts and amendments. Ramanagara was originally a Bengaluru district, today in the cabinet it was decided to name it as the Bengaluru South district. Order regarding this will be issued. This is happy news for the Bengaluru South district," Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters, he said, there will be no change in Ramanagara functioning as the headquarters of the district, and it will continue.
"Notification will be issued and the necessary process will follow. There will be no financial implication from this decision... all land records and everything will be changed. I'm also here-on from the Bengaluru South district" he added.
Ramanagara, which has now been renamed, is the home district of Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief.
He represents Kanakapura Assembly constituency in the district, and had first mooted the proposal to rename the district as Bengaluru South.
Noting that Ramanagara district was earlier part of Bengaluru district, the Deputy CM said, Bengaluru city, Bengaluru rural were all part of Bengaluru district earlier, including -- Hosakote, Devanahalli, Doddaballapura, Channapatna, Ramanagara, Magadi, and Kanakapura taluks.
"We (current Ramanagara district people) are trying to save our Bengaluru identity. This region is developing," he said, adding that the cabinet decided on the Bengaluru South district name within the framework of law.
To a question whether the Centre had opposed the cabinet's earlier decision in this regard, Shivakumar said, nothing, the central government has no powers on this issue.
"Informing the Centre was mandatory, that's all. There was some politics and some attempts were made (to oppose), but it is our right, it is a state subject," he said, noting that centre's approval was not sought when other districts were renamed earlier, including when the name Ramanagara was given to this district.
Responding to a question on opposition's criticism that development won't happen from name change, Shivakumar said, "let them wait and see."
Union Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy was the Chief Minister of the JD(S)-BJP coalition, when Ramanagara district was carved out in August 2007.
Kumaraswamy had earlier threatened to go on a protest if the Karnataka government decides to go-ahead with the proposal to rename the district.
Ramanagara district had been the political turf of JD(S) and Kumaraswamy as he had earlier represented Ramanagara and Channapatna Assembly segments, and also had been an MP from the region.
ರಾಮನಗರ ಇನ್ಮುಂದೆ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆ!
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) May 22, 2025
ರಾಮನಗರ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆ ಈ ಮೊದಲು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಗ್ರಾಮಾಂತರ ಎಂದಿತ್ತು. ನಂತರ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ನಗರ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆ ಎಂದಾಗಿತ್ತು. ರಾಮನಗರದ ಹೆಸರನ್ನು ಉಳಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕೆಂಬ ಕಾರಣಕ್ಕೆ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಶಾಸಕರುಗಳು ಸೇರಿ ತೀರ್ಮಾನ ಕೈಗೊಂಡು, ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯೆಂದು ಮರು ನಾಮಕರಣ ಮಾಡಲು ಸಂಪುಟದಲ್ಲಿ… pic.twitter.com/vE6DlMu4CR
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
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.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
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.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹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… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
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.
