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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Hassan (Karnataka), Dec 5: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said he will stand by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah like a "rock", until death.
He said this at the ‘Jana Kalyana Samavesha’, a convention jointly organised by the state Congress and Swabhimanigala Okkuta (federation organisations of oppressed communities).
"Don't worry, in Mysuru I have said that this bande (rock) -- D K Shivakumar -- will be with Siddaramaiah. This Shivakumar will be with him, now, tomorrow, and until death. Keep this in mind. This is the history of this Kanakapura bande," Shivakumar, who is often referred to as "Kanakapura bande" by local media and supporters, said.
Shivakumar represents Kanakapura assembly segment.
ALSO READ: No agreement with DK Shivakumar on power-sharing, will abide by high command decision: Siddaramaiah
Addressing the convention, he said, "It is my duty and Dharma to work honestly, wherever I work."
"....no need to worry. We are working for the poor honestly...unitedly all our Ministers in the cabinet and legislators will work under his (CM) leadership to serve the state and its people...."
The convention was initially planned by the federation of organisations of oppressed communities as a Siddaramaiah-centric mega "show of strength" event, in solidarity with the Chief Minister, who is facing allegations in the MUDA site allotment scam.
However, the Congress party's involvement as the joint host of the event was confirmed by the Chief Minister himself last week, amid reports that a section of leaders within the party were against such an event being organised outside the party framework. An anonymous "complaint letter" purportedly written by a Congress leader to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge had also surfaced.
The state Congress led by its President Shivakumar had also renamed the convention as ‘Jana Kalyana Samavesha’ from 'Siddaramaiah Swabhimaani Janandolana Samavesha'.
Interestingly, Shivakumar's statement came a day after Siddaramaiah rejected his claim that they have a power-sharing pact.
Shivakumar had reportedly told media recently that there was an agreement between them, before coming to power.
In response, Siddaramaiah had on Wednesday said there was no such pact, and that he would abide by the high command's decision.
There was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister's post after the declaration of Assembly election results in May last year, and the Congress had managed to convince the latter and made him the deputy chief minister.
There were some reports at the time that a compromise had been reached based on a "rotational chief minister formula," according to which Shivakumar will become CM after two-and-half years, but they have not been officially confirmed by the party.
Shivakumar has made no secret of his ambition to become CM.
Addressing the convention, Shivakumar claimed that the Congress' five guarantee schemes are "permanent", and it was certain that the party would come to power in 2028. "No one can change this."
He also expressed confidence about Congress winning all seven assembly segments in the Hassan district in the next polls. The party currently represents only one seat in the district. "We need your cooperation for it."
Pointing to BJP and JD(S)' defeat in recent by-polls to Shiggaon, Sandur and Channapatna Assembly segments, the Deputy CM said, JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda and his son and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy during campaigning had claimed that they will "root out" the Congress government.
"Mr Deve Gowda, this isn't a potato crop grown in Hassan or a groundnut plant to root out. This is a government which has the support of 138 MLAs, it has public support...." he said.