BENGALURU
The Karnataka Cabinet approved a Rs 600-crore development plan for minority community colonies across the state, covering the financial years 2026–27 and 2027–28.
The decision comes amid political debate over the timing of the scheme, with some viewing it as an appeasement measure following recent political developments, including the Davanagere South by-election controversy where a minority candidate was not given a ticket.
However, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H. K. Patil rejected such claims, saying the decision had no political motive attached to it.
“There is no political connotation. The Minority Welfare Department had prepared an action plan for Rs 600 crore and the Cabinet has cleared it. Nobody was waiting to use it as a political tool,” Patil said.
He explained that the approval has been extended over two financial years because several infrastructure projects under the scheme may require more time for completion. The extended timeline, he said, was intended to ensure that works are not left unfinished midway.
Officials said the programme aims to improve civic infrastructure, housing facilities, roads, drainage systems and basic amenities in minority-dominated localities across Karnataka.
In the same Cabinet meeting, the government also approved a major land allotment deal for a leading California-based semiconductor company at the Bengaluru Signature Business Park in Devanahalli.
The project, valued at Rs 758 crore, will see Applied Materials securing 140 acres of land on a lease-cum-sale basis. The land has been priced at Rs 1,288 per square foot, officials said.
The company is expected to establish a research and development ecosystem, boosting high-tech investment in the state and strengthening Karnataka’s position in the global semiconductor sector.
The Cabinet decisions reflect the government’s parallel focus on social development schemes and attracting large-scale foreign investment into the state’s industrial corridors.
