Siddaramaiah said since Article 371-J in 2013, 1.2 lakh government jobs were identified for locals; 84,620 filled, with remaining to be filled gradually
Kalaburagi
On Kalyana Karnataka Liberation Day, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced major development plans for the region, including a ₹70,000 crore investment in irrigation and the setting up of a new secretariat in Kalaburagi.
He began by remembering the sacrifices of local freedom fighters who helped liberate the Hyderabad-Karnataka region from the Nizam’s rule. “While the rest of India celebrated independence in 1947, this region was still suffering under the Razakars. Today is a day to honour the heroes who brought freedom here,” he said.
The Chief Minister paid tribute to several local leaders like Sharanagouda Inamdar and Raja Venkatappa Nayak and called their contributions unforgettable.
Focusing on development, Siddaramaiah said that since Article 371-J was passed in 2013, nearly 1.2 lakh government jobs were identified for local youth. Of these, 84,620 have already been filled. Now that the internal reservation issue is settled, the rest will be filled step by step.
The state has allocated ₹5,000 crore to the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) for 2025–26. So far, ₹14,000 crore has been spent on over 41,000 development works, of which nearly 33,000 are already complete.
On welfare schemes, he said his government has spent ₹1 lakh crore so far. The Shakti scheme has provided free bus travel to 77.6 crore women, costing ₹2,100 crore. The Gruha Lakshmi scheme gave ₹9,650 crore to 24.78 lakh women. Anna Bhagya spent ₹3,200 crore on food security and Yuva Nidhi provided ₹172 crore to jobless youth.
He also announced plans to raise the height of Almatti Dam and expand irrigation to 15 lakh acres in four districts. The government will soon issue a formal notice for creating a dedicated Kalyana Karnataka Secretariat.
“Without developing this region, Karnataka’s progress is incomplete,” he said.
