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Suvarna Karnataka: focus on housing

Bangalore Bureau

Anglicised names of many cities and towns to be changed

BANGALORE: Chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy has said the Government will make provisions to launch comprehensive programmes in the next budget to address the housing problem and poverty alleviation.

He was addressing a gathering after launching the year-long Suvarna Karnataka celebrations and presenting the Ekikarana and Rajyotsava awards at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Wednesday.

He said he had been touring the State and visiting remote villages. He had observed that lack of housing, coupled with poverty, was the biggest problem facing the State, particularly in rural areas. Referring to the issue of regional imbalances, Mr. Kumaraswamy said the Government had decided to translate the dreams of those who fought for the unification (ekikarana) of the State into a reality. The time had come to think of what the State could do for development with an emphasis on north Karnataka, he said.

The State would not tolerate its independent identity being threatened, he said, in an oblique reference to the recent developments over Belgaum.

As desired by Kannadigas, the Government had decided to change the anglicised names of many cities and towns, the Chief Minister said. The names, among others, of Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, Hospet, Bellary, Shimoga, Belgaum, Gulbarga and Hubli would be changed to Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hosapete, Ballary, Shivamogga, Belagavi, Kalburgi and Hubballi, respectively, once the process was completed, he said.

He announced that the Government had selected the octogenarian poet G.S. Shivarudrappa for the prestigious Rashtrakavi honour. Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda did not attend the event.

Party spokesperson Y.S.V. Datta, MLC, read out his speech, in which Mr. Gowda congratulated the Government and the Opposition for exhibiting the political will in holding a legislature session in Belgaum.

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