BENGALURU
Rural areas across Karnataka are gearing up for big changes. Village panchayat elections will finally take place this October and November, Rural Development Minister Ishwar Khandre announced recently.
The terms for most local councils have already ended. Officials are currently busy reshaping voting zones and fixing seat reservations. This crucial preparatory work will finish by next month, allowing the State Election Commission to conduct the voting within forty-five days. Minister Khandre highlighted that village governance fulfills Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of true local self-rule.
To make daily life easier for rural families, the government plans to launch a doorstep delivery service for ‘e-property’ digital land records once current surveys end. However, this helpful service will completely exclude layouts built illegally on public wasteland.
Financially, the state is facing major hurdles. Minister Khandre strongly criticized the central government for holding back ₹2,186 crore in vital development funds over minor technical software glitches, urging local MPs to demand the state’s rightful share immediately. On a brighter note, he assured residents that there is absolutely no shortage of drinking water funds despite dry weather, as ₹117 crore has already been sent to needy villages.
Additionally, Karnataka is expanding its rural employment scheme to stop migration. The Minister guaranteed that poor and underprivileged communities will find stable work close to home, meaning nobody needs to move to crowded urban slums for survival. Lastly, Khandre slammed the central government’s proposed ‘One Nation, One Election’ system, calling it a dictatorial move to control the country.
