25-04-2025
Cabinet meeting approves Rs 3,647 crore for various projects
Chamarajanagara: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that a cabinet meeting held on Thursday at the renowned pilgrimage site of Male Mahadeshwara Hill in Hanur taluk approved an allocation of Rs3,647 crore for various departmental projects.
Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, the Chief Minister began by paying tribute to the victims of a recent terrorist attack, stating, 'Before the cabinet meeting commenced, we honoured those who lost their lives in the terrorist attack. The as-sault on innocent civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, has been condemned strongly by our government. We must stand united as a nation to eradicate all forms of extremism. A thorough investigation into the failures that led to this incident must be conducted effectively and appropriately.'
During the cabinet meeting, discussions were held on 78 matters, culminating in the approval for a total of Rs3,647.62 crore in funding. Key allocations included Rs210 crore to mitigate human-elephant conflict in border districts, Rs315 crore for drinking water projects, and a decision to convert a sub-district hospital in Kollegal into a district hospital with the construction of a 250-bed facility. Additionally, the construction of a taluk hospital in Hanur and the establishment of the Manteswami and Rachappaji Development Authority in Chikkallur were also greenlit.
Siddaramaiah further announced that the government would allocate land for a crick-et stadium in Ilawal, Mysore, where an international cricket facility will be constructed by a cricket organization. A funding of Rs40 crore was earmarked for the development of Khadi village industries in Badanavalu. Plans were also discussed for purchasing land for the expansion of the runway at Mysore Airport, and for converting the old Dis-trict Commissioner's office in Mysore into a museum at a cost of Rs37 crore.
Furthermore, new tourist facilities are set to be established in Chamarajanagar, along with plans for a drainage system and drinking water arrangements for Chamarajana-gar district, with a Rs15 crore budget allocated for the development of a sports complex in the district.
In a response to BJP's criticism, the Chief Minister stated, 'Our government has de-cided to hold cabinet meetings in all four revenue divisions of the state. Previously, a cabinet meeting was held in Kalaburagi, and today we convened in Chamarajanagar. Meetings will also be held in Vijayapura, Belagavi, and Bengaluru divisions at Nandibetta.'
Addressing claims made by BJP regarding the government's financial status, Sid-daramaiah remarked, 'BJP spreads falsehoods, claiming there is no money in the government. If there were truly no funds, could we approve projects worth Rs3,600 crore?'
The cabinet also approved plans for the development of the memorial site of the illus-trious King Krishna Devaraya in Vijayanagara, ensuring that funds would be released upon receipt of proposals.
Answering queries about land ownership concerns raised by the royal family member Pramodadevi Wadiyar in Chamarajanagar, the Chief Min-ister remarked, 'Those who have held land for 60-70 years can be deemed the own-ers. The remaining individuals are not landowners. Ownership changes cannot be lawfully altered.'
