MLAs of ‘ignored’ North Karnataka call for special status, warn of statehood stir

Discontentment is growing among the people and elected representatives of North Karnataka region over perceived apathy of successive state governments towards developing the region.

MLAs from the region, cutting across party lines, spoke about North Karnataka’s problems during a special discussion on the region in the recent legislature session held in Belagavi.

Terdal BJP MLA Siddu Savadi even warned about the possibility of a call for separate statehood for North Karnataka in the legislative assembly. “If you don’t solve the problems related to the Upper Krishna Project (UKP), calls will rise for a separate statehood for North Karnataka,” Savadi said.

Special status

On the other hand, Navalgund Congress MLA NH Konaraddi sought a special status for Kalyana Karnataka under Article 371 (J). “I don’t know if there’s an assumption that Kittur Karnataka is developed. The reality is that Kittur Karnataka is the most backward region,” he said.

According to Basavakalyan MLA Sharanu Salagar, North Karnataka did not even have high schools when the Wadiyars developed Mysore city and the Krishna Raja Sagar dam.

“Why have successive governments been apathetic towards developing Kalaburagi, Yadgir, and Raichur along the lines of Mysuru, Bengaluru, and Tumakur? Why is there no prominence for Krishna, like there is for Cauvery?” Salagar demanded.

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Two weeks not enough

Despite there being 91 MLAs from North Karnataka, only two days have been allotted to discussions on North Karnataka issues, they complained.

All the MLAs from the region — including Sharanagouda Kandakur, Shailendra Beldale, Channareddy Patil Tunnur, Manappa Vajjal, Allamaprabhu Patil, Srinivasa Mane, and Nemiraj Naik — agreed that it was impossible to raise all the issues plaguing North Karnataka in the Belagavi session, which is just a “two-week tour” for other MLAs.

Moving a step ahead, Congress MLA Prakash Koliwad called for an agitation by all the elected representatives of the region.

Stepmotherly treatment

Some legislators complained that it is always South Karnataka that ends up bagging every project envisaged or sanctioned. The Centre’s delay in clearing the Kalasa Banduri project testifies this, they argued.

“Even now it is not too late; BJP legislators and MPs should convince the Centre about the need to implement this lifeline project for North Karnataka,” said newly elected Congress MLA from Shiggaon, Yasir Ahmed Pathan.

Mahesh Tenginkai of the BJP demanded a comprehensive industrial policy for the development of North Karnataka region.

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Proposals galore, no execution

According to data available with The Federal, there are proposals galore for the industrial development of North Karnataka. Over 119 industrial projects worth Rs 1.49 lakh crore have been envisaged in Belagavi, Ballari, Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, and Yadgir. But the government is reluctant to execute them.

“North Karnataka continues to bear the tag of an industrially backward region even though several lawmakers from the region have held portfolio for Major and Minor Industries,” Mahesh Tenginkai told The Federal. Top BJP leaders, including SR Bommai, Jagadish Shettar, Murugesh Nirani, and MB Patil, held the portfolio for long.

“It was during SR Bommai’s (father of former BJP chief minister Basavaraj Bommai) tenure as industries minister that the land bank for industries was created in the region by acquiring land through the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB). Over 1,580 acres acquired by the KIADB at Kadechur-Badiyal in Yadgir district is waiting for investors. Almost 6,000 acres of land are lying unused,” grumbled Vinay Javali, former president of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industries.

Substance in the allegation

There is some substance in these allegations. The very purpose of holding winter Assembly sessions in Belagavi since 2006 has been to demonstrate that the political dispensation is not discriminating against North Karnataka.

The Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi was built at a cost of Rs 400 crore for this reason, as also to send a message to the neighbouring Maharashtra that Belagavi was an integral part of Karnataka. However, it seems the very purpose of holding the winter Assembly session in Belagavi has been defeated in recent years.

According to available data, the government has spent over Rs 154.30 crore to conduct 13 legislature sessions in Belagavi so far. For the 2024 session, the government has spent Rs 19.30 crore, compared to Rs 5 crore spent on the first session in 2006.

The expenditure to conduct sessions in Belagavi is increasing by the year. But those two-week sessions have not helped the North Karnataka region in any way.

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Huge challenge for Siddaramaiah

Many Congress MLAs, told The Federal on condition of anonymity that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah faces a huge challenge to fulfil the promises he made during the session.

“Siddaramaiah is grappling with significant fiscal challenges, as he aims to allocate about Rs 10,000 crore for infrastructure maintenance and development work. Key commitments he outlined during the final day of the session include Rs 4,000 crore for infrastructure development in North Karnataka,” said the senior Congress leader from the region.

Siddaramaiah’s promise

The issue of regional imbalance has returned to haunt the Congress government at a time when the state celebrates the golden jubilee of its renaming (from Mysore).

Siddaramaiah admitted in the session that even though the Congress government had spent Rs 17,850 crore for the overall improvement of 14 districts in Belagavi and Kalaburagi divisions based on the recommendations of the High-Power Committee for the Redressal of Regional Imbalance headed by DM Nanjundappa, more needs to be done.

“There is widespread discontentment over the underdevelopment of the North Karnataka region. The government will take necessary steps for the inclusive development of North Karnataka immediately after receiving a report from the Govinda Rao committee, which was set up to address regional imbalances arising from the implementation of the Nanjundappa Committee recommendations,” Siddaramaiah said, announcing a separate secretariat for Kalyana Karnataka.