“Gadag district played a prominent role in the renaming of the State as Karnataka and just like the history of unification of the State, the renaming too has an interesting and long history,” Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Legislation, and Tourism H.K. Patil said.
Hoisting the tricolour during the 68th Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations at K.H. Patil Stadium in Gadag on Wednesday, he recalled how the 14th century poet Kumaravayasa had named his epic ‘Karnataka Kathamanjari’.
“In the unification and naming of the State as Karnataka, eminent personalities like Andanappa Doddameti, Hallikeri Gudleppa, K.H. Patil, Veerappa Basarigidada, N.S. Subbarao, Bellave Venkatanarayanappa, Ranganath Diwakar, Mudaveedu Krishnarao, Chandrashekhar Shastri, Krishna Shastri, Da.Ra. Bendre, Shi.Shi. Basavanal, T.P. Kailasam, C.K. Venkataramayya, Ti.Ta. Sharma, Uttangi Channabasappa, M.R. Srinivasmurthy, Govind Pai, Nandimath, Kuvempu, Ram.Shri. Mugali, Bi. Em. Shri, A.N. Krishnarao, V.K. Gokak, and D. Javare Gowda played an important role,” he said.
The Minister referred to the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held in the year 1961, when a resolution for renaming of the State as Karnataka was passed. “In 1973, Chief Minister Devaraj Urs tabled the resolution on renaming the State while Agriculture Minister K.H. Patil tabled the resolution in the Legislative Council,” he said recalling the celebrations held during those times in Bengaluru, Hampi, and Gadag.
Mr. Patil said during the last 50 years of the renaming of the State, much water has flown under the bridge and the State had progressed a great deal in various sectors by successfully countering the various challenges. He also elaborated on the development in terms of infrastructure, education, health, and technology.
Briefing about the successful implementation of guarantee schemes, he said that changes were being brought in to facilitate speedy justice through technology upgradation and other facilities. Very soon a law policy would be brought out and the State was stepping towards setting up ‘grama nyayalay’ (village courts). Similarly comprehensive tourism development was being facilitated, he said.
On the developments in Gadag, Mr. Patil said that various infrastructure development works had been initiated in the field of health, education, and sports. A 450-bed hospital at Gadag Institute of Medical Sciences was being dedicated to the public and cathlab for heart patients would soon be commissioned, he said.
MLC S.V. Sankanur, Deputy Commissioner Vaishali M.L., Superintendent of Police B.S. Nemagoudar, and other officials were present. School children presented various cultural programmes.
