ON A WAR FOOTING: Preparations on at the main venue in Srinivas Saradgi village in Gulbarga taluk where the Suvarna Gramodaya project will be launched by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

GULBARGA: Srinivas Saradgi, a village in Gulbarga taluk, is all set to host the launch of the ambitious Suvarna Gramodaya project by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on February 25.

The village, 3.5 km away from the inter-State highway connecting Waghdhari in Maharashtra and Ravalpalli in Andhra Pradesh passing through Gulbarga district, is one among the 1,012 villages selected by the State Government for their integrated development by providing on an average of Rs. 1 crore each. The works to be taken up include construction of internal roads, drainage facility, construction of toilets and improving drinking water supply.

The President, who will be reaching the village in the afternoon from Belgaum by a special IAF helicopter, will spend about 40 minutes in the village and interact with the gram panchayat members at the Panchayat office. He will inspect the model concrete road laid in the village, which will be adopted in the other villages included in the project.

Exhibition

Later, he will motor down to the venue of the main function and inaugurate the exhibition of different development projects taken up by State Government departments and participate in the main function.

This is the President's second visit to Gulbarga after he inaugurated the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Gulbarga University a couple of years ago.

Arrangements

Srinivas Saradgi village has been given a facelift by the State Government. The venue of the main function, which is in fact the site for the proposed airport, has been cleaned up to erect the podium from where the President will deliver his address.

Originally, the authorities had decided to construct a huge pandal to house around 30,000 people at the venue. The proposal was given up at the last minute in view of the heavy winds. Four temporary helipads are being readied near the main venue. The district administration has made elaborate arrangements to ensure that the President's visit goes off without any hitch. The entire 3.5-km stretch from the main venue to the village, which was in woeful condition with potholes, has been re-laid and all the government buildings, and even the houses on either side of the road have been given a white wash.

The authorities were also hurriedly installing the computer which was gathering dust in the gram panchayat for the past three months. Internet connection was also provided.

The North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) will be operating 180 special schedules from Gulbarga, Bidar and Raichur districts on February 24 and 25 to help people from these districts attend the project launch at Srinivas Saradgi.

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