Belagavi: The government will continue the Special Development Plan (SDP) to eliminate regional imbalance as per the recommendations of the Dr D M Nanjudappa committee report, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Friday.
Replying to questions raised on the development of north Karnataka in the Assembly, he said that the Nanjudappa committee had recommended the government implement the SDP in the span of eight years by spending Rs 15,000 crore (through budgetary support). Implementation of the SDP began in 2007-08 and about Rs 13,566 crore has been spent so far in 114 backward taluks across the State. But, the government will continue implementing the SDP even after eight years, he added.
The progress made in the last seven years in the backward taluks will be evaluated. The Centre for Multi-disciplinary Development Research, Dharwad, will be entrusted with this responsibility. Besides, a high-level committee headed by the Development commissioner will be set up to monitor implementation of the SDP programmes and projects, he said.
Overall development
Siddaramaiah at the same time slammed those seeking separate Statehood for north Karnataka, saying that separate Statehood is not the solution. “Stop talking about division of the State. A lot of effort has gone into uniting all Kannada-speaking areas (unification of Karnataka). We are Kannadigas and let us not differentiate anything as north and south. The government is committed for overall development of the State,” he stated.
In his lengthy three-hour reply, he reeled out statistics from the 2005 Human Development Index, State Economic Survey and 2011 census reports to show how north Karnataka has remained backward on many social parameters such as literacy rate, infant mortality rate and school dropouts, and efforts made by the government for the development of the region.
Allaying fears about investors not showing interest to come to north Karnataka, he said that it was only Hero MotoCorp that went to Andhra Pradesh, where investors are getting more incentives.
Recently, about 53 pharmaceutical companies from Andhra Pradesh have shown interest to invest in north Karnataka. Besides, Coca Cola has come forward to set up its unit in Yadgir district at the cost of Rs 1,000 crore.
However, principal opposition party BJP staged a walk out charging that nothing was announced for north Karnataka development, while the JD(S) staged a dharna demanding remunerative price under its market intervention scheme. Highlights
GMR group, which is operating Hyderabad airport, has been offered to operate Bidar airport as well.
Two industrial corridors announced in 2014-19 industrial policy to spur industrial development.
By 2018 the State will be free of open-defecation
Of the total 4,500 km of State highway road development this year, 2,500-km will be in north Karnataka.
