Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala
Karkala, Feb 25: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday inaugurated the Rs 7 crore Dr B R Ambedkar Bhavan building at Kabetta in Karkala, Udupi district.
He subsequently inaugurated the “Kisan Sabha Auditorium” at Mahatma Gandhi Residential High School, run by the Kisan Sabha Trust, and formally declared open the institution’s 35th anniversary celebrations.
The auditorium has been constructed by Kisan Sabha Trust, Kukkundur, along Taluk Office Road in Karkala. After inaugurating the newly built facility, the chief minister launched the 35th annual celebration programme of Mahatma Gandhi High School and addressed the gathering.
Speaking on the occasion, Siddaramaiah lauded the efforts of the trust in promoting education and social development in the region. He appreciated the institution’s contribution to expanding educational opportunities and strengthening community development initiatives. He also assured full support from the state government for the Mahamastakabhisheka scheduled to be held in 2027.
Emphasising the importance of education, the chief minister said it must ensure equal opportunities for all. “No one is born intelligent or dull. What is needed is opportunity. Without equal opportunity, there can be no justice,” he said.
He observed that historically, many communities were denied access to education because of the caste system. “Political freedom has no meaning without social and economic freedom,” he added.
The chief minister commended efforts made for underprivileged children, stating that establishing schools for disadvantaged sections is not an easy task. He congratulated the organisers on behalf of the government.
Referring to demands placed before the government by former minister Sunil Kumar, Siddaramaiah said, “Ours is a government that delivers what it promises. However, all demands cannot be fulfilled at once. We will address them in phases.”
Recalling his earlier tenure as chief minister from 2013 to 2018, he said that out of 165 promises made during that period, 158 were fulfilled. “In 2023, we made 590 promises and have already fulfilled 243 of them,” he noted.
Highlighting the government’s flagship guarantee schemes, Siddaramaiah said that Rs 52,000 crore is being spent annually on their implementation. So far, Rs 1.20 lac crore has been spent on these schemes. “We implemented these guarantees within one year of coming to power. Some claim that because of guarantees there is no money left for development. But we are carrying out both guarantee schemes and development works simultaneously,” he asserted.
Lakshmi Hebbalkar, minister for women and child development and Udupi district in-charge minister, said that although the Congress party did not win any of the five Assembly seats in Udupi district — all of which were secured by the Bharatiya Janata Party — the district has one of the highest numbers of Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries.
“Our party workers have ensured proper implementation by visiting every panchayat,” she said, adding that she wished to draw the chief minister’s attention to certain issues concerning the district.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by several ministers, elected representatives, officials and prominent leaders from the district.
Among those present were social welfare minister H C Mahadevappa, former chief minister M Veerappa Moily, primary and secondary education minister Madhu Bangarappa, Dakshina Kannada District Cooperative Bank president M N Rajendra Kumar, Coastal Authority chairman M A Gaffoor, former ministers Gopal Poojary and Jayaprakash Hegde, Congress leader and District Guarantee Implementation Committee vice-president Muniyal Uday Shetty, Vinay Kumar Sorake, MLA Harish Kumar, deputy commissioner Swaroopa T K, MLC Ivan D’Souza, entrepreneur Bola Damodar Kamath, Shubhada Rao, Harsha Moily and several other dignitaries.