Tourism, Ecology and Environment Minister and Vijayanagar district in-charge B.S. Anand Singh unfurled the tricolour at the Municipal Grounds in Hosapete on Sunday.
“I happily hoisted the national flag to mark the first Independence Day celebration in the new Vijayanagar district. It is my good luck that I got the opportunity. It is because of your support and cooperation that made the long-standing demand for a new district a success. Let us march together and let us win together,” Mr. Singh said in his Independence Day message.
Reiterating his commitment to the development of the district, he also announced that he would make all possible efforts to upgrade Hosapete, the district headquarters, to a municipal corporation for offering better civic amenities to its residents.
“We are planning to develop a film city on 50 acres of land near Kamalapur. Indoor and outdoor stadiums will be built on 50 acres of land at a cost of ₹100 crore to encourage rural sports such as bullock-cart race, traditional wrestling, Kabaddi, Rangoli and farmland race and urban sports such as Kho-Kho, cricket, jump rope, football and basketball. A sum of ₹100 crore is already released for upgrading the existing 100-bed hospital into a 250-bed hospital in Hosapete. However, keeping the future requirements in mind, we have now planned to build a new 250-bed hospital on 30 acres of land on the outskirts of the city so that the facility will further be developed into a medical college and hospital,” Mr. Singh said.
The development of a digital library at a cost of Rs. 4 crore, a railway overbridge near Anantashayana Gudi, a high school and junior college for girls at a cost of ₹24 crore in Hosapete, development of a road from Tungabhadra Reservoir Circle through the new Deputy Commissioner’s office to Valmiki Circle at a cost of ₹18 crore, development of Joladarashi Gudda into a tourist destination at a cost of ₹24 crore and construction of 53 district-level offices for the different departments for the smooth functioning of the new district are among the promises Mr. Singh made in his speech.
Mr. Singh also revealed plans to make the complete use of Hampi Kannada University’s 750 acres of land by opening a Central University.
“The 750 acres of lands given to Kannada University, Hampi, is underutilised as the university is meant only for research activities. I want to get a Central University established on campus and develop it into a unique university. Herbs with medicinal qualities are grown in the area and I would like to get the State’s first Ayurveda University established in the district. The availability of abundant water in Tungabhadra Reservoir will be helpful in growing medicinal herbs for research,” he said.
Member of the Lok Sabha from Ballari Y. Devendrappa, Special Officer to Vijayanagar district Anirudh Sravan P. and others participated in the event.
