H D Kumaraswamy rushes to control damage, Belagavi may be second capital

BENGALURU: Facing flak from various quarters for neglecting North Karnataka in his recent budget, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday sought to alleviate the anguish of the people in this region by promising to grant Belagavi city the status of second capital . He also promised to shift some government departments to Suvarna Vidhana Soudha (SVS), the secretariat building in Belagavi.
This has been one of the long-pending demands of the people in the region to confront the border row with neighbouring Maharashtra.
In 2006, the Karnataka assembly under the JD(S)-BJP regime had adopted a unanimous resolution to grant Belagavi the status of second capital, akin to Nagpur in Maharashtra, and Jammu in Jammu and Kashmir, while endorsing the Mahajan Commission report which declared Belgaum a part of Karnataka.

Reviving the issue, Kumaraswamy said the government will consider the old proposal of declaring Belagavi the second capital of Karnataka. “The proposal to declare Belagavi the second capital of Karnataka has been pending since I became CM in 2006. However, subsequent governments did not consider the proposal. I will reconsider the proposal and deliberate on the feasibility of the matter.”

As anger over chief minister HDK's statements on North Karnataka gather momentum, security is beefed up outside his house in Hubballi on Tuesday
To start with, he said the government will take steps to shift some departments to SVS in Belagavi. “As of now, SVS functions on only 10 days a year, during the winter session. I intend to keep SVS active all 365 days of the year, and see that people from Kalaburagi, Belagavi or Hubbali-Dharwad should not come to Bengaluru for every small issue,” he said.
The government, sources said, is already contemplating shifting the Karnataka Neeravari Nigama, Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Ltd, corporations attached to the water resources department, and open the office of the information commissioner.
Grama Vastavya to District Vastavya
In another move to soothe hurt feelings, Kumaraswamy also announced that he would soon embark on a North Karnataka tour and camp in all 13 districts of the region to hear and resolve the issues of the people. “I will meet these people as a common man and hold meetings with officials to ensure the people get their due,” he added.
Kumaraswamy had undertaken Grama Vastavya (village stay) when he was CM in 2006-07, that became a huge success. The bandh call in 13 districts of north Karnataka on Thursday to demand separate statehood is likely to get a lukewarm response, with organizations pressing for separate statehood softening their stand following an assurance from Kumaraswamy.
Kumaraswamy takes a dig at media again
Hitting out at the media once again, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy defended his recent statements at a rally in Channapatna, saying he was only reacting to BJP leader B Sriramulu’s demand for separate statehood.
“When two-thirds of revenue generated from Bengaluru goes for development of the entire state, I sought to know from him how to find resources to develop a separate state. But these remarks were twisted by media to convey a different meaning.”
He also accused the media of portraying him as “CM of four districts”. “I have given only Rs 514 crore to four districts out of a budget of Rs 2.18 lakh crore. But they still make an issue out of it,” he said.
Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, however, said the CM should restrain from blaming the media and allow them to do their job.
Kumaraswamy also dismissed talks being held by BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa in Belagavi with seers and pontiffs of mutts in the region as nothing but a “gimmick” and alleged that Yeddyurappa and his party never showed any intent when in power to develop the northern parts of the state.
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