Chitradurga (Karnataka) [India], November 4 (ANI): Ahead of the Hiriyur Assembly by-election, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced development projects worth Rs 2,238 crore for Hiriyur taluk in Chitradurga district, triggering a sharp political attack from the BJP.
Addressing a massive gathering at Dharmapura in Hiriyur after performing bhoomi puja for various works on Tuesday, Shivakumar said he had come with a sense of responsibility to continue the works envisioned by late minister D Sudhakar, whose death necessitated the by-election.
"I have not come empty-handed. I have brought the Goddess of Development with me. I have arrived carrying sanction orders for projects worth over Rs 2,500 crore," Shivakumar said.
That included a Rs 244 crore irrigation project, which involves construction of a submersible diversion weir across the Vedavathi River to collect and pump 0.3 TMC of water, laying 28 km of MS pipelines and 16 km of HDPE pipelines to improve water availability in the drought-prone region. The work will be completed in 20 months.
Other projects were a new KSRTC bus stand at Dharmapura near the Andhra Pradesh border, Rs 500 crore for construction of various community halls in Hiriyur, taking the total allocation to around Rs 3,000 crore as claimed by the CM, special grants for drinking water and road development in Chitradurga district through the Rural Development Department, 5 lakh housing sites and houses to be distributed across the state this year and Rs 2,200 crore worth of projects across four hoblis of Hiriyur taluk.
The CM said Hiriyur is as important to him as Kanakapura, his home turf, and that 10 ministers had accompanied him with sanction orders of their departments.
He also targeted BJP and JD(S) over the Bhadra project, recalling that when Basavaraj Bommai was CM and Nirmala Sitharaman was Union Minister, Rs 5,300 crore was announced but not a single rupee was released. He described opposition leaders as having "empty baskets".
Turning emotional and recalling his friend, late D Sudhakar, Shivakumar said Congress will create history in Hiriyur and will return to power in 2028. On the demand to announce Sudhakar's son Suhas as a candidate, he said four separate surveys have been commissioned, and the party will take the final decision.
Reacting to the announcement spree, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka said nobody believes DK Shivakumar.
"Nobody believes DK Shivakumar. He is the one famous for destroying anybody, including Siddaramaiah. Nobody in his own party believes him," R Ashoka said.
BJP leaders alleged the announcement is an eyewash for the by-election and that the government, which claimed a financial crunch for Gruha Lakshmi payments, is now announcing thousands of crores only for election gains. (ANI)
DK Shivakumar announces Rs 2,238 cr projects for Chitradurga; BJP's R Ashoka hits back, "Nobody believes him, famous for destroying anyone"
