Karnataka - Hassan   

`Ensure development of all taluks in Hassan'

Staff Correspondent

People of Hassan are emotionally attached to the Gandhada Koti: samiti leader

HASSAN: Convener of the Save Gandhada Koti Horata Samiti R.P. Venkatesh Murthy has said development should be decentralised. If development efforts are focused on Hassan city, there will be no scope for developing other taluks. He was speaking at a meeting called by Minister for Public Works H.D. Revanna to discuss the development of Hassan. Citizens last year had expressed concern over the opening of a medical college in heart of city in a congested area and appealed to the authorities to build it on the outskirts. Mr. Murthy said the people of Hassan were emotionally attached to the 150-year-old Gandhada Koti and the Government High School that is also a century old. He said both must be retained at any cost.

Socialist leader Manjunath Datta suggested shifting the medical college to S.M. Krishna Layout. He wanted the Gandhada Koti to be developed as "Parisara Mahithi Kendra" and a high-tech park.

Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha president Kodihalli Chandrasekhar opposed any move to acquire the land of farmers who own less than two acres. Construction of buildings alone was not development, he added.

Former Minister B.D. Basavaraj said two rivers- the Yagachi and Vatehole- flow in the east of the district, yet there was no drinking water in Belur Taluk.

A.C. Munivenkataiah appealed to the authorities not to demolish the Chamarajendra Hospital, to retain the Government High School playground and protect Gandhada Koti.

District Bharatiya Janata Party president Navile Annappa lauded Mr. Revanna for taking up development projects and appealed to him not to allow buildings to come up on the Government High School playgrounds as it was the only place where public programmes could be conducted. It was also the place where Mahatma Gandhi addressed the people of Hassan during the Freedom Movement, he added.

S.M. Anand, MLC, suggested construction of a medical college and a high-tech hospital in Krishna Layout that had more than 500 acres. B,V. Kari Gowda suggested shifting the Forest Department offices and residential quarters located inside Gandhada Koti to the outskirts of the city and in its place construct two pre-university colleges. When development was taking place, we should be ready for certain sacrifices. Agitation is not the remedy for all problems, he added.

Hassan MLA H.S. Prakash, Sakleshpur MLA H.M. Viswanath, Chennaraypatna MLA Putte Gowda, zila panchayat president Hutchhe Gowda, ZP vice-president Mahadevamma, Deputy Commissioner K.H. Aswathanarayana Gowda, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer F.R. Jamaadar, and HDCC Bank president Patel Shivaram were present.

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