University Status for Rayanna Centre?

BELAGAVI: The district administration has sent a proposal to the government seeking university status for the proposed Sangolli Rayanna Memorial Centre to be constructed at Nandagad in Khanapur taluk.

Deputy Commissioner N Jayaram said the memorial will be an education hub and a sports centre.

The government is planning to provide military style education and training to the students, he added.

While Sangolli is the birth place of Rayanna, the army commandant of Rani Channamma of Kittur, Nandagad was the place where he was hanged by Britishers. The village has a huge banyan tree where Rayanna was said to be hanged and buried.

The deputy commissioner said he and several other officials had recently visited Kurukshetra in Haryana to study a memorial centre built there.

He said the district administration has already purchased 12 acres of forest land for the centre.

The government has released Rs.1.25 crore for the same, he added.