Engineers key to accelerating Kalyana Karnataka’s development: KKRDB Secretary

Engineers have a pivotal role in translating the State government’s vision for the comprehensive development of the Kalyana Karnataka region into reality, Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) Secretary Nalini Atul said on Friday.

Inaugurating a two-day comprehensive technical training programme for government engineers from Bidar, Kalaburagi, and Yadgir districts at Zest Club near Naganahalli Cross in Kalaburagi, Mr. Atul said the government had accorded special priority to the development of Kalyana Karnataka as the region had historically lagged behind other parts of the State. He stressed that engineers implementing works funded by the KKRDB must discharge their responsibilities with commitment and professionalism.

The programme has been jointly organised by the KKRDB and the North-East Zone of the Public Works Department (PWD) for engineers serving in various government departments.

Addressing the participants, Mr. Atul assured engineers that the Board would extend all possible support to ensure the successful execution of development projects. “We stand firmly behind our engineering fraternity in implementing every project successfully. This workshop has been organised to understand your concerns, listen to your suggestions and resolve both technical and administrative issues that affect project execution,” he said.

Highlighting the Board’s achievements, he said allocations for the region had increased substantially since 2013-14 and nearly ₹5,000 crore had been released during the last three years alone. Over the past five to six years, more than ₹24,000 crore had been utilised for developmental works across the region, he added.

Mr. Atul said the Board had become financially self-reliant and was capable of independently funding infrastructure projects across departments. He noted that project approvals, tendering, and payments had been fully digitised through the e-procurement system, ensuring greater transparency and accountability.

Emphasising the responsibility of engineers, he said their role extended beyond supervising works to ensuring that projects were completed within the stipulated time while maintaining quality standards. Capacity-building initiatives and regular training programmes were also being organised to address staff shortages and enhance technical expertise, he added.

Mr. Atul said agriculture, industry, textiles, tourism and education had been identified as priority sectors for the region’s development. He also revealed that the Board had sought five sector-specific policies from the State Government for Kalyana Karnataka, including a dedicated industrial policy, which has already received government approval.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Engineer, PWD (North-East Zone), Subhash Shivashankar, said the State government had framed new policies to promote agriculture, industry, education and tourism, and that effective implementation of these initiatives would depend on the technical competence of engineers. He expressed confidence that coordinated efforts by all government departments would transform Kalyana Karnataka into one of the State’s most developed regions.

He said the government was committed to supporting the welfare of engineers and ensuring the smooth implementation of development projects. The workshop, he added, had been organised to understand the challenges faced by engineers and evolve practical solutions.

Retired Assistant Executive Engineer Anwar, the resource person, explained the objectives and technical aspects of the workshop through a PowerPoint presentation.

KKRDB Assistant Financial Controller Indushree R, KKRDB Deputy Secretary Surekha, Additional Director Praveena Priya David, Financial Controller Pavan Kumar, Superintending Engineer Anand Kamalapurkar, technical expert Yelasangi Math, retired Chief Engineer M. Narayan, Sidramappa Avanti of Appa Engineering College, Kalaburagi, and engineers and officials from Bidar, Kalaburagi and Yadgir districts participated.