MANDYA
District Collector Dr. Kumar urged people, especially students, to follow the ideals and public service of former Chief Minister D. Devaraja Urs. Speaking at his 111th birth anniversary programme at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Bhavan, Kumar said Urs dedicated his life to people and worked for social justice, education and the empowerment of backward communities.
Kumar said Urs established hostels through the Backward Classes Welfare Department so poor students from rural areas could continue their education. He urged hostel students to treat these facilities as centres of learning rather than simply places to stay. He said achieving good education and contributing positively to society would be the best tribute to Urs.
The Collector also highlighted the Land Reforms Act and its principle that the tiller should own the land. He said the reform transformed the lives of farmers and helped disadvantaged communities gain economic and social independence. According to Kumar, the measure became an important step towards greater equality and empowerment in society.
Dr. Shailesh Raje Urs, Associate Professor at Karnataka State Open University, said Devaraja Urs entered politics in 1941 and continued his public journey after independence. He described Urs’s administration as an important period of social change in Karnataka, particularly for backward classes. He also recalled the renaming of Mysore State as Karnataka on November 1, 1973, calling it a major contribution to the state’s identity and unity.
Before the programme, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer K.R. Nandini flagged off a decorated portrait procession from the District Collectorate. Mandya Urban Development Authority Chairman B.P. Prakash, Mysore Sugar Company Chairman C.D. Gangadhar, officials, community leaders and other dignitaries attended the event, remembering Urs’s lasting contribution to Karnataka.
