Bengaluru (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in poll bound Karnataka's northern districts of Yadgiri and Kalaburagi on Thursday to lay foundation stone and inaugurate projects worth more than Rs 10,800 crores.

This will be the second such visit by the Prime Minister to Karnataka this month. He was in Hubballi on January 12 to inaugurate the National Youth Festival, during which he had held a massive road show.

According to an official release, at around 12 noon, in Kodekal, Yadgiri district, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate various developmental projects related to irrigation, drinking water besides a National Highway development project.

Later, at around 2:15 PM, Modi will reach Malkhed, Kalaburagi District, where he will distribute title deeds (hakku patra) to the eligible beneficiaries of newly declared revenue villages and also lay the foundation stone for a National Highway project.

The visit also gains significance, as the ruling BJP prepares for assembly polls in Karnataka and has set a target of winning a minimum of 150 out of total 224 seats which will go for polls by May.

Aimed at providing safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections to all households, Modi will lay the foundation stone for Yadgir multi-village drinking water supply scheme under Jal Jeevan Mission at Kodekal in Yadgiri District, also a Water Treatment Plant of 117 MLD will be built under the scheme.

The project, which costs more than Rs 2,050 crore, will provide potable water to about 2.3 lakh households of more than 700 rural habitations and three towns of Yadgiri district.

During the programme, the PM will also inaugurate Narayanpur Left Bank Canal Extension Renovation and Modernisation Project (NLBC ERM).

The project, with a canal carrying capacity of 10,000 cusecs, can irrigate 4.5 lakh hectares of command area. It will benefit more than three lakh farmers in 560 villages of Kalaburgi, Yadagir and Vijaypur districts. The total cost of the project is about Rs 4,700 crores.

Later, he will also lay the foundation stone of the 65.5 km section of NH-150C. This 6-lane Greenfield road project is part of Surat Chennai Expressway. It is being built at a cost of about Rs 2,000 crore.

Further pointing out that about 1,475 unrecorded habitations have been declared as New Revenue villages in five districts of Kalaburagi, Yadgiri, Raichur, Bidar and Vijayapura, the release said, at Malkhed village of Sedam Taluka of Kalaburagi district, the Prime Minister will distribute title deeds (hakku patra) to the eligible beneficiaries of these newly declared revenue villages.

The issuance of title deeds to more than 50,000 beneficiaries, who are largely from the marginalised and vulnerable communities from the SC, ST and OBC, is a step to provide a formal recognition from the government for their land, and will make them eligible for receiving government services like drinking water, electricity, roads etc.

During the programme, the Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of the 71 km section of NH-150C. This 6 lane Greenfield road project is also part of Surat Chennai Expressway. It is being built at a cost of more than Rs 2,100 crore.

Surat Chennai Expressway will pass through six states- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. It will reduce the existing route from 1,600 Kms to 1,270 Kms.

The PM after finishing with his engagements in Karnataka will leave for Mumbai.

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New Delhi, Dec 5: Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said that despite the government's continuous efforts to reduce deaths in road accidents, the casualties have been on the rise as people neither have respect nor fear of the law.

Responding during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Gadkari said he himself has been a victim of a road accident and is sensitive about the issue.

The minister said there are four factors which can help reduce road accidents--road engineering, automobile engineering, enforcement of law and education of people.

"Biggest problem of the society is neither they have respect for the law, nor they have fear of law. There are problems like people don't stop on red signal, don't wear helmets..30,000 people die only because they aren't wearing helmets. I have been a victim myself, my leg has been broken at four places in an accident when I was Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra and I am continuously sensitive about it.

"I have no hesitation in accepting this but distressed that despite trying hard there have been 1.68 lakh road accident deaths this year. A large number of these deaths are because there has not been strict implementation of rule of roads...without cooperation from public representatives, media or society, this is not possible. We have increased fines too but people don't follow rules," he said.

Gadkari said a car jumped the traffic signal in front of him on Wednesday.

The minister urged the Speaker to keep a separate discussion on this issue and asserted that the government is committed to improving the situation.

"The problem also is that there are some black spots and government has already decided to spend 40,000 crores on blackspots..as per mistakes identified in detailed project report, blackspots are there, and we are very much committed for that," he said.