The State budget presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on July 7 for 2023-24 addressed some of the key expectations from the Kalyana Karnataka region, showing the Congress government’s commitment to the development of the backward region.
One of the major announcements was expectedly the declaration of undertaking development works amounting to ₹5,000 crore under Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB). The Chief Minister recalled how the United Progressive Alliance, led by Congress at the Centre, had provided special status to the region by amending the Constitution of India and adding Article 371(J). He blamed the previous BJP government in Karnataka for failing to spend the money allocated to the board.
“During the previous BJP regime, though huge grants were announced, there was a visible failure in formulating a proper action plan and implementing the same. Due to this, grants amounting to more than ₹2,000 crore were left unutilised by the board. Plugging all these loopholes and utilising the grants appropriately, work amounting to ₹5,000 crore will be undertaken in Kalyana Karnataka region in 2023-24,” the Chief Minister said in his budget speech.
200-bed mother and child hospital at Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences in Kalaburagi
The establishment of a new 200-bed mother and child hospital at Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Kalaburagi at a cost of ₹70 crore is another major announcement for the region, especially Kalaburagi district.
The Chief Minister allocated ₹30 crore to operationalise Trauma Care Centres (TCC) in Mysuru and Kalaburagi, and ₹20 crore for upgrading Peripheral Cancer Centres of Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology in Kalaburgi and Mysuru.
The announcement of a new road of 78 Km from Kalmala junction near Raichur to Ballari-Lingasuguru Road Circle, near Sindhanur, to be developed at a cost of ₹1,696 crore is another important initiative.
The Chief Minister announced a grant of ₹10 crore for one skilled young graduate from each taluk in Kalyana Karnataka for the Chief Minister’s fellowship for a period of 24 months.
Other announcements for the region are:
- Filling 899 tanks in Belagavi, Davangere, Ballari, Haveri, Gadag, Bidar, Uttara Kannada, Vijayanagara, Koppal, Kalaburagi and Yadgir districts at a cost of ₹770 crore
- ₹155 crore to operationalise super-speciality hospitals and burn care centres in Mysuru, Kalaburagi and Belagavi districts
- ₹100 crore for building and maintaining 400 community toilet complexes in Kalyana Karnataka
- ₹75 crore for comprehensive development of tourist destinations — Hampi, Mailara, Gangapura, Sannati, and the forts of Malkhed, Bidar, Raichur and Kalaburagi
- Establishment of new industrial estates at Chittapur in Kalaburagi district and Shahapur in Yadgir district, along with Hubballi, Kodkani in Uttara Kannada district, Kanagala in Belagavi district, Badanaguppe in Chamarajanagar district, and Indi in Vijayapura district
- Declaration of Black Buck conservation reserve in Bidar district
- Establishment of Janapada Loka in Koppal district
