KKRDB Chairman Ajay Singh speaking at a public meeting in Koppal on Monday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Karnataka government, under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, has sanctioned grants worth ₹13,000 crore for the development of the Kalyana Karnataka region during the last 28 months, Chairman of the Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board (KKRDB) Ajay Singh has said.
He was addressing a public meeting in Koppal on October 6, 2025. Chief Minister Siddaramiah, along with his Cabinet colleagues Sharan Prakash Patil, Shivaraj Tangadagi, Zameer Ahmad Khan, also addressed the event after inaugurating development projects and laying foundation stones to new ones, together worth around ₹2,000 crore.
Infrastructure, welfare schemes
Mr. Singh said that the funds released to KKRDB were being utilised to improve basic infrastructure and implement a range of welfare schemes across the backward districts in the region.
“The State government is firmly committed to the comprehensive progress of seven districts of Kalyana Karnataka. The ongoing projects are transforming the developmental landscape of the region, particularly in sectors like health, education, irrigation, and welfare of backward and minority communities,” Mr. Singh said, adding that since the Congress government assumed power, KKRDB has received a total grant of ₹13,000 crore.
Akshara Avishkara, Arogya Avishkara
Outlining the key initiatives, Mr. Singh said that 54 student hostels were being constructed with modern facilities at a cost of ₹306 crore under the Backward Classes Welfare Department. Under the Akshara Avishkara education scheme, he added, ₹1,795 crore has been allocated, including ₹189 crore for Koppal district alone.
“A major policy decision has also been taken to establish one Karnataka Public School (KPS) between every two gram panchayats. A total of 350 KPS schools have been sanctioned for the seven districts – 150 under the Education Department and 200 under KKRDB funding,” Mr. Singh said.
For the Arogya Avishkara programme, he added, an outlay of ₹1,829.40 crore has been earmarked for 2023–24, under which several hospitals are being upgraded. He added that 32 cardiac ambulances, costing ₹11.47 crore, have been sanctioned for the region, five of which have been deployed in Koppal as part of the initiatives to strengthen emergency medical response.
Setting up an industrial hub
“Newly created taluks in the region will soon get Pragati Soudhas (mini-Vidhana Soudhas) at a cost of ₹17.16 crore each. For minority welfare, ₹238 crore has been sanctioned, while ₹576 crore is earmarked for the uplift of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Additionally, ₹175 crore has been allocated for groundwater development and ₹96.16 crore under the Aranya Avishkara project for afforestation activities,” Mr. Singh noted.
Mr. Singh also announced plans for setting up an industrial hub with an investment of ₹150 crore to boost local employment and entrepreneurship. He said KKRDB has contributed ₹36 crore to the ₹100-crore Super Speciality Hospital project coming up in Koppal, which will significantly enhance advanced healthcare facilities in the district.
Published – October 07, 2025 12:21 pm IST
