Kumaraswamy hails Kannadigas' spirit for a united Karnataka
Bengaluru, Aug 15 : Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday said the JD-S-Congress coalition government was committed to the development of the entire state, asserting that he has allocated more funds for all the regions than previous governments had done.
The Chief Minister hailed Kannadigas for their spirit of unity and strong will against attempts to divide the state.
"I have an emotional bonding with Belagavi (around 500km northwest of Bengaluru, bordering Maharashtra), where the state's first legislature session was held in 2006 during my previous tenure," he said in his address at the Sam Manekshaw Parade ground in Bangaluru on the occasion of the country's 72nd Independence Day.
"I salute the spirit of unity demonstrated by Kannadigas against the division of Karnataka. Their strong will has silenced the feeble voices of division of the state before they become louder," said Kumaraswamy.
Giving an assurance on addressing problems of the people living in Goa, Kasaragod in Kerala and Solapur in Maharashtra, Kumaraswamy said he would address them in talks with his counterparts from the three states.
"The state government aims to improve the human development index of all districts across the state. Besides basic infrastructure, amenities like education, health and social security for all are our priority," he said.
On the Rs 49,000-crore crop loan waiver to distressed farmers, the chief minister said an official order would soon be issued on it for loans raised from state-run banks, benefiting 20.4-lakh farmers across the state.
"The state government has already waived loan raised from cooperative banks. The new order will be issued to waive loans from the state-run banks," he noted.
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Sculptor Ram Sutar, designer of Statue of Unity, passes away
New Delhi (PTI): Noted sculptor Ram Sutar, known for designing the world's tallest statue — Statue of Unity — in Gujarat, passed away late on Wednesday night at his Noida residence, his son said.
He was 100 and ailing with age-related illnesses.
"It is with profound grief that we inform you of the passing of my father Shri Ram Vanji Sutar on 17th December midnight at our residence," his son Anil Sutar said in a note shared with the press on Thursday.
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Born in a humble family in Gondur village under the Dhule district of present-day Maharashtra on February 19, 1925, Sutar is known to have been drawn to sculpting from his childhood.
A gold medallist from JJ School of Art and Architecture, Mumbai, Sutar, has to his credit a long list of achievements.
The iconic statues of Mahatma Gandhi seated in a meditating pose and of Chhatrapati Shivaji riding a horse on the Parliament premises rank among his finest creations.
The Statue of Unity honours Sardar Patel, country's first deputy prime minister and home minister.
Sutar was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016.
Recently, Sutar was conferred with the Maharashtra Bhushan Puraskar, the state's highest award.
