MLA said Kaginele Circle traffic makes central statue unsafe, suggesting placement at Kanaka Sheep and Wool Weavers site
Haveri
MLA Basavaraja Sivannavara, who also represents the Kuruba community, said that a statue of saint Kanakadasa will be installed at Kaginele Circle in Haveri within the next month. He was speaking at a Shepherd Community meeting held at a tourist temple in Haveri city.
He said Kanakadasa is a respected saint who worked for social harmony through devotion and his contribution should be made more visible in the district where he was born and raised. He added that statues of Kanakadasa have already been installed in several places across the country, and now Haveri will also honour him in a similar way.
The MLA said that due to increasing traffic at Kaginele Circle, installing the statue in the centre may not be suitable for safety reasons. Instead, it will be placed in the area allotted to the Kanaka Sheep and Wool Weavers Cooperative Society.
He said around Rs 10 lakh will be spent on preparing the statue, while the Urban Development Authority has already sanctioned Rs 25 lakh for circle development works. He added that additional funds between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 15 lakh may be required, and he himself will contribute Rs 1 lakh. He appealed to the community to donate generously for the project.
Haveri Urban Development Authority Chairman S F N Gazi Gowdra said the statue installation will be completed within a month and called for unity among community members. He also said this year’s Kanaka Jayanti celebrations will be organised at Kaginele Gurpeeth in a grand manner.
Several community leaders and local representatives attended the meeting and supported the plan for the statue installation and celebrations.