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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Ballari (Karnataka), Dec 8: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said the Congress alone can give a stable government unlike the BJP, which, gave multiple chief ministers during its rule in the state.

He alleged that the BJP never came to power on its own and needed horse trading, spending crores of rupees to rule the state.

"The BJP never gave a stable government. From 2008 to 2013, there were three chief ministers. Again from 2019 to 2023, there were two chief ministers," Siddaramaiah said at the 'Jana Kalyana Samavesha' (public welfare meeting) at Sandur in Ballari district.

The public meeting was a thanksgiving event for the voters of Sandur for electing the Congress candidate Annapoorna Tukaram in the assembly bypoll recently.

The chief minister said, "When I became CM in 2013, we had 221 MLAs. Again in 2023, we won 136 seats. We will give a stable government."

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Siddaramaiah ruled for the full five-year term from 2013 to 2018.

He alleged that the BJP never came to power with the people’s blessings. It always ruled the state by doing 'Operation Lotus'. It spent crores of rupees to buy the MLAs.

'Operation Lotus' refers to the BJP's alleged attempt to topple the ruling government through horse-trading.

Siddaramaiah said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi says Na Khaunga, Na Khaane Doonga (Neither shall I indulge in corruption, nor allow others to do it). He should explain where the money came from to buy the MLAs."

He accused the BJP and the JD(S) of trying hard to bring down the Congress government in Karnataka.

The chief minister charged that the opposition BJP and JD(S) have been waiting to see his government’s fall.

According to him, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka and Union Minister and JD(S) second-in-command H D Kumaraswamy are competing with each other to become chief minister, "which would never happen."

The Congress will remain in power for five years as the opposition will not be able to shake them at all, he said.

Referring to the recent MUDA site allotment scam, in which he and his wife are accused, Siddaramaiah said, "It is not possible for you to stain my image. So long as I have the blessings of the people of Karnataka, I cannot be removed."

The chief minister advised the opposition to stop lying to people and making false corruption charges against him.

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