10 hours ago
No big-ticket projects for the region, Nandi Hills cabinet meeting postponed
Bengaluru: The govt has postponed the much-anticipated cabinet meeting scheduled to be held at Nandi Hills on Thursday, allegedly due to the absence of significant projects to announce for Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapur, and Kolar districts.
Instead, the cabinet will convene at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, following regular protocol.
Sources say a key reason behind the last-minute change in venue was lack of approval from the finance department for several proposed projects for the region.
Only a limited number of items had been listed on the original agenda, including a Rs 36 crore proposal for a new lake in Chintamani taluk, rejuvenation of 45 lakes in Sidlaghatta and 119 in Chintamani taluks under HN Valley-II Stage, costing an estimated Rs 237 crore.
The cabinet was also expected to deliberate on a proposal to rename Bagepalli town to Bagyanagar.
"Finance department concurrence was not received for the proposed projects, so the meeting at Nandi Hills has been deferred," said an official from the chief minister's office.
The postponement has sparked disappointment among locals and lawmakers who were hoping for long-term solutions to the region's persistent water problems.
Congress legislators from the three districts, besides activists, urged the govt to bring meaningful projects to the table and address the region's critical needs.
In a letter to chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh, the Shashwata Neeravari Horata Samiti — a local organization focused on irrigation and water issues — highlighted decades-long water scarcity in the area. The group had requested that the Nandi Hills cabinet meeting include discussions on phased water treatment under the KC and HN Valley projects, lake rejuvenation plans, and progress on the long-pending Yettinahole project.
"We were ready to protest if our issues were not addressed at the meeting. Now it feels like the govt cancelled it because they had no concrete solutions to offer," said Reddy, a member of the Samiti.
BJP MP from Chikkaballapur, K Sudhakar, also voiced his dissatisfaction over the cancellation.
"I had high expectations for our region from this cabinet meeting," he said. "The govt must urgently fund the three-stage water treatment under the KC and HN Valley projects and allocate at least Rs 1,000 crore to accelerate the Yettinahole project."
Meanwhile, Congress MLAs have reportedly pressed the govt to discuss additional regional development plans, including the proposed international flower market in Chikkaballapur, a water project for Bagepalli, and increased funding for road infrastructure.
No new date has been announced for a cabinet session dedicated to the region, leaving many locals uncertain about when their long-standing issues will be addressed.
