MYSURU: The special cabinet meeting held in Kalaburagi on September 17 to address issues concerning Kalyana-Karnataka region, has inspired calls for a similar meeting in Chamarajanagar district.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has agreed, in principle, to hold the first-ever cabinet meeting at Male Mahadeshwara hills in January, raising hopes of elected representatives and officers of the region that they may get additional funds for development. The district figured in the Nanjundappa Committee report on regional imbalance. Then, former chief minister SM Krishna had held a mini cabinet meeting at BR Hills and executed health programmes and infrastructure projects.
Chamarajanagar district was carved out of Mysuru district on August 15, 1997, but has failed to see much development. It carried a jinx that visiting chief ministers would lose power, but Siddaramaiah disproved the jinx by visiting the district a number of times. He wanted to create history by holding a review meeting, and draw the roadmap for development of the district, that has more than 51 per cent forest cover, tiger reserves, historical temples and a sizable tribal population.
District minister K Venkatesh and Social Welfare Minister HC Mahadevappa, who held a KDP meeting and listed out problems of the district, prevailed on CM Siddaramaiah to hold a cabinet meeting.
The ministers have held meetings with district officers to list out the people’s needs, and want to focus on improving irrigation, basic health, infrastructure, housing and programmes to generate rural employment. People in Hanur taluk and border areas prefer to visit the hospital in Tamil Nadu across the border as the district hospitals lack facilities.
Officers are carrying out surveys of shelterless families, and the condition of tribal houses built during the Indira Gandhi regime. Sources said there is a need for 3,000 houses for tribals and there is a call to launch ‘Siddu Nivas’ or ‘CM Nivas’ scheme to provide shelter for the homeless.
Ever since the government announced Rs 11,770crore worth of projects and released Rs 5,000cr for Kalyana Karnataka, there is anticipation that funds would be allocated generously for improving rural connectivity, checking man-animal conflict, addressing malnourishment and child marriage, education, and promoting tourism to contain migration towards Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Minister Venkatesh said the CM has agreed to hold a cabinet meeting here in January.