BENGALURU: Ahead of the Union Budget, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, urging her to provide Rs 5,000 crore for the development of the Kalyana Karnataka region.
In his letter, Kharge said it is a matter of critical importance concerning the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. Due to historical circumstances and persistent socioeconomic disparities, the region has lagged behind the rest of Karnataka in critical indices such as health, education and infrastructure, making it one of the state’s most underdeveloped areas, he said.
Kharge also pointed out that the Karnataka Government has made considerable efforts to address the issues and allocated Rs 5,000 crore annually to the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board.
“The demand for resources remains high due to the region’s vast geographical expanse, and the problem is multi-faceted,” he said, adding that the state government has also passed a resolution demanding Rs 5,000 crore special grant from Centre.