Feature Image: Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru
The Karnataka State government officially declared the constitution of the Vijayanagara district via a gazette notification issued on Monday. This makes Vijayanagara the thirty-first district of the state.
Constituted by dividing the Ballari district, Vijayanagara will comprise six talukas ― namely, Hosapete, Kudligi, Hagari Bommanahalli, Hoovina Hadagali, Kottur and Harpanahalli. Hosapete will be the district headquarters.
The notification comes barely two months after the approval from the State Cabinet on November 18 last year. The decision had run into resistance among the ruling party’s leaders, including BJP MLA G Somashekhara Reddy representing Ballari City. Karnataka Minister for infrastructure development, haj and waqf, Anand Singh ― who is also the in-charge of the Ballari district ― had championed the creation of the new district. Singh is one of the seventeen disqualified MLAs whose rebellion led to the fall of the previous HD Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JD(S) coalition government. Singh is also believed to be dissatisfied at the ministerial portfolios given to him in the Cabinet reshuffle last month. Furthermore, it is believed that the plan to constitute the new district was originally mooted in September 2019 by Chef Minister BS Yediyurappa after Singh had put forth his demand.
The government’s notification is only the beginning of the Herculean tasks ahead, as there is still the arduous job of sifting through and refiling the relevant land records and documents from more than thirty departments. Civic infrastructure and adequate funds would have to be obtained to depute officials across various levels and set up offices, leading to increased government spending.
Pannaraj Sirigeri, convener and leader of Akhanda Ballari Jillegagi Horat Samiti, a movement for a unified Ballari district, said that they were disappointed with the bifurcation despite strong opposition.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.