BENGALURU: The Karnataka government is toying with the idea of holding its next cabinet meeting amidst the misty charm of Nandi Hills on June 19 or soon after depending on the readiness of the infrastructure, according to sources.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil confirmed that the plan is in the works. “We are working on it,” he said, when asked about the choice of venue, adding, “There is a large hall there, and we will use it for the meeting. There shouldn’t be any problem.”
Sources revealed that the infrastructure at Nandi Hills received a significant facelift recently. This includes upgrades to the facilities originally built for the second SAARC Summit held there back in 1986 — a piece of history most may have forgotten. Teams of officials have since swooped in to fine-tune the facilities, much like they did ahead of cabinet meetings at Kalaburagi and Male Mahadeshwara Hills.
The idea of cabinet sessions outside Vidhana Soudha isn’t exactly novel. Back in the day, during JH Patel’s tenure as CM, the cabinet gathered at the Tippagondanahalli guesthouse off Magadi Road. SM Krishna’s government once took the cabinet to the lush outskirts near HD Kote in Mysuru, en route to Mananthavady in Kerala. Even R Gundu Rao’s administration experimented with holding cabinet meetings beyond Bengaluru.
Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, when contacted, recalled that during the time of his father, cabinet meetings were held in all divisional headquarters across the state -- Kalaburagi, Belagavi and Mysuru.
According to insiders, these off-site meetings often focus on hyper-local issues. So, expect topics related to the Chikkaballapur region — including tourism, conservation, and infrastructure — to top the agenda when the cabinet gathers at Nandi Hills. Chikkaballapur, which is a fast-growing urban centre, has several infrastructure issues needing urgent attention.
When contacted, officials said district in-charge minister MC Sudhakar has told them to spruce up road connectivity from the fort to the meeting hall on top of the hill. They said the PWD secretary and district officials will hold a preparatory meeting on Tuesday.
As the date approaches, all eyes are on the state’s picturesque getaway — a 70-minute drive from Bengaluru — as the backdrop for what could be one of the most memorable cabinet meetings in recent times