PM lays foundation stone of various projects in Kodekal, Karnataka

23 Jan 2023 CW Team

In Kodekal, Yadgir, Karnataka, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone and dedicated various development projects related to irrigation, drinking water, and a National Highway development project. The projects include the laying of the foundation stone for the Yadgir multi-village drinking water supply scheme under the Jal Jeevan Mission, a 65.5 km section of the Surat - Chennai Expressway NH-150C (from Badadal to Maradagi S Andola), and the inauguration of the Narayanpur Left Bank Canal - Extension Renovation and Modernisation Project (NLBC – ERM).

In his address to the gathering, the Prime Minister emphasised the love and support of the people of Karnataka, describing it as a source of great strength. In shedding light on Yadgir's rich history, the Prime Minister mentioned the ancient fort of Rattihalli, which is a symbol of our ancestors' capabilities and reflects our culture and traditions. He also mentioned the great king Maharaja Venkatappa Nayak, whose concept of swaraj and good governance was known throughout the country. “We all take pride in this heritage”, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister stated that the projects related to roads and water dedicated for which the foundation stone was laid will provide massive benefits to the people of the region. The Surat Chennai Corridor's Karnataka portion began construction which will improve living conditions and boost employment and economic activity in the region, which includes Yadgir, Raichur, and Kalburgi. The Prime Minister praised the state government for its work in North Karnataka development.

The Prime Minister reminded that the coming 25 years are ‘Amrit Kaal’ for the country and for every state. “We have to create Viksit Bharat during this Amrit Kaal. This can happen only when every person, family and state gets associated with this campaign. India can be developed when the life of the farmer in the field and the entrepreneur is improved. India can be developed when there is good crop, and factory output also expands. This will need learning from the negative experiences and bad policies of the past”, he said.

Using Yadgir in North Karnataka as an example, the Prime Minister lamented the region's backwardness on the path to development. Despite the region's capability, the Prime Minister observed that previous governments had absolved themselves simply by labelling Yadgir and other such districts as backward. He recalled how previous governments engaged in vote-bank politics while ignoring basic infrastructure such as electricity, roads, and water.

The Prime Minister highlighted that the current government's priorities are solely focused on development rather than vote-bank politics. “Even if one district in the country lags behind on the parameters of development, the country cannot become developed”, the Prime Minister said. He noted that it was the present government that addressed the most backward regions on priority and initiated the hundred aspirational village’s campaign including Yadgir.

The Prime Minister reiterated the importance of good governance and development in these regions, noting that Yadgir has vaccinated all children, the number of malnourished children has decreased significantly, all villages in the district are connected by roads, and common service centres in gramme panchayats are available to provide digital services. "Whether it's education, health, or connectivity, Yadgir has consistently been among the top ten performers in the aspirational districts programme," the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister praised the public representatives and district administration for their outstanding accomplishments.

The Prime Minister underlined the need of water security for the development of 21st-century India, comparing it to border, coastal, and internal security. “Double engine government is working with an approach of felicitation and consolidation”, he said and informed that out of the 99 irrigation schemes that were lying pending in 2014, 50 have already been completed and schemes have been expanded.

Many such projects are also underway in Karnataka. He stated that the Narayanpur Left Bank Canal - Extension Renovation and Modernisation Project (NLBC - ERM) with a canal carrying capacity of 10,000 cusecs has the potential to irrigate 4.5 lac hectares of command area. Shri Modi also mentioned the unprecedented emphasis on micro-irrigation and 'per drop more crop' as more than 70 lakh hectares of land have been brought under micro-irrigation in the last 7-8 years. Today's project will benefit 5 lakh hectares of land in Karnataka, and work to raise the water table is underway, he said.

The Prime Minister gave examples of the work completed under the double engine government, pointing out that only 30 million of the 180 million rural families had access to piped water when the Jal Jeevan mission started three and a half years ago. “Today that number has gone up to eleven crore rural families”, the Prime Minister continued, “Out of these, thirty-five lakh families are from Karnataka.” He noted that the coverage of water per household in Yadgir and Raichur is higher than the overall average of Karnataka and the country.

According to a study, the Jal Jeevan Mission in India will have an annual impact of saving the lives of more than 1.25 lakh children. The Prime Minister noted the advantages of the Har Ghar Jal campaign and emphasised that under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, the farmers receive Rs 6,000 from the central government and an additional Rs 4,000 from the state of Karnataka, doubling their benefits. “About 1.25 lakh farmer families of Yadgir have received about Rs 2.5 billion from PM Kisan Nidhi”, the Prime Minister added.

The Karnataka government is assisting underprivileged students through Vidya Nidhi programmes as the Center launches its New Education Policy, and as the Center keeps the wheel of progress turning, Karnataka is making the state appealing to investors. The Prime Minister further elaborated on the rhythm of the double engine government. “Karnataka government augments the Center’s help to weavers under Mudra Scheme by giving them further help”, he added.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the current administration is giving any person, class, or region the highest priority if they are still suffering after so many years of independence. He noted that millions of small farmers in our nation had been denied every convenience for years, and that the government had made no effort to address this issue either. The country's agricultural policy currently places the highest priority on this small farmer, the prime minister interjected. The Prime Minister gave examples of how to assist farmers with equipment, introduce them to cutting-edge technology like drones, provide chemical fertilisers like Nano Urea, promote organic farming, issue Kisan Credit Cards to small farmers, and support beekeeping, fisheries, and animal husbandry.

The local farmers were praised by the prime minister for making the area a hub for pulse production and assisting the nation in lowering its reliance on foreign imports. He stated that during the previous eight years, 80 times more pulses had been purchased through MSP. Compared to a few billion of rupees prior to 2014, pulse farmers have received 600 million in the last eight years.

The Prime Minister mentioned that Karnataka produces a lot of coarse cereals like jowar and ragi and that the United Nations has designated 2023 as the International Year of Millets. He emphasised the double-engine government's commitment to boosting this nutrient-dense coarse grain's production and promoting it internationally. The Prime Minister stated his opinion that farmers of Karnataka will play a leading role in taking this initiative forward.

The Prime Minister noted the advantages of the double-engine government when it comes to connectivity in Karnataka and emphasised how crucial it is for agriculture, industry, and tourism. He also highlighted how the Surat-Chennai Economic Corridor will benefit a significant portion of North Karnataka. The countrymen's access to the tourist attractions and pilgrimage sites in North Karnataka will also be made simple, according to the prime minister, opening up thousands of new job and self-employment opportunities for the youth. “The focus of the double engine government on infrastructure and reforms is turning Karnataka into an investors' choice”, the Prime Minister remarked as he said that such investments are going to increase further in the future due to the enthusiasm all over the world to invest in India.

Occasionally in attendance were the Karnataka Governor, Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot, the Karnataka Chief Minister, Shri Basvaraj Bommai, the Union Minister of State, Shri Bhagwant Khuba, and Ministers from the Karnataka Government.

Background

The foundation stone for the Yadgir multi-village drinking water supply scheme under the Jal Jeevan Mission was laid in Kodekal, Yadgir district, as part of an effort that will be another step toward realising the Prime Minister's vision of providing safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections to all households. According to the plan, a 117 MLD water treatment plant will be constructed. The Yadgir district project, which has an estimated cost of more than Rs 20.5 billion, will provide potable water to about 2.3 lakh households across more than 700 rural settlements and three towns.

The Prime Minister also launched the Narayanpur Left Bank Canal - Extension Renovation and Modernization Project during the programme (NLBC – ERM). The project can irrigate 4.5 million hectares of command area with a canal carrying capacity of 10,000 cusecs. More than three lakh farmers in 560 villages in the districts of Kalaburgi, Yadagir, and Vijaypur will profit from it. The project will cost about Rs. 47 billion in total.

He also laid the foundation stone of 65.5 km section of NH-150C. This Surat–Chennai Expressway project involves a 6-lane Greenfield road. Its construction will cost roughly Rs 20 billion.