The State Budget presented by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Friday was rather disappointing for Mandya and Ramanagaram districts. A major chunk of the announcements were for irrigation projects, which demand mandatory allocations for modernisation and repair works every year.
Mandya
The budget has proposed to establish a new Mysugar mill at an estimated ₹100 crore in the town and a world class permanent ‘Farm Demonstration Centre’ at the Zonal Agricultural Research Station, V.C. Farm, on the outskirts of Mandya.
The budget has not announced any measures to revive the defunct cooperative sector sugar mill Pandavapura Sahakari Sakkare Karkhane (PSSK). Modernisation works for the Visvesvaraya canal in Srirangapatna, Pandavapura, Mandya, Maddur and Malavalli taluks; tank-filling works near Balaghatta in Pandavapura, constructing a sports hostel for girls in Mandya, improving facilities at Sir M. Visvesvaraya District Stadium here; and supplying potable water from river sources under the ‘Jaladhare Scheme’ to Mandya were announced.
There were proposals for developing an industrial area at Nagamangala through the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board, a ₹50 crore package for the development of industries, allocation of a sum of ₹1 crore for the development works of Karnataka Sangha were also made.
An irrigation project at Halaguru in Malavalli taluk, a project to fill 12 tanks of Srirangapatna for supplying drinking water by lifting water from Arikere tank, comprehensive developmental works of Sulekere in Madduru, and modernisation of distributaries of Hemavati left bank canals in K.R. Pet (Sahukar Chennaiah Canal) and Nagamangala were also announced.
Ramanagaram
The neighbouring Ramanagaram district, having four Assembly segments, of which Channapatna and Ramanagaram are respectively represented by Mr. Kumaraswamy and his wife Anitha, has secured more projects when compared to Mandya district.
New taluk
The Chief Minister has considered the long pending demand of the creation of Harohalli taluk.
Stakeholders, activists and political leaders in both districts were demanding special packages for farmers and industrial sectors, higher educational institutions, plans to boost tourism sectors, improvement of road transport facilities and packages.