Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said his government is planning to develop Kalaburagi into a smart city at an estimated investment of Rs 16.85 billion and ensure development of the entire Kalyana Karnataka region. Under the Mahatma Gandhi Nagar Vikas Yojana 2.0, Rs 2 billion each is being provided for basic infrastructure development in Kalaburagi and Ballari municipal corporations, he said. The chief minister delivered his address on the occasion of 'Kalyana Karnataka Amrut Mahotsav' and the 10th anniversary of giving special status to Kalyana Karnataka under Article 371(J) of the Constitution after hoisting the national flag on the Police Parade Ground here. He noted that though India gained independence in 1947, the districts of Bidar, Kalaburagi, and Raichur, under the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad, secured freedom only a year later, adding, Kalyana Karnataka region joined the country due to the sacrifices of many freedom fighters, the "vision" of Jawaharlal Nehru, and the "strength" of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. "I pay respect to all the great people who fought for the liberation of Kalyana Karnataka," the chief minister said. A scheme called "Kalyana Patha" has been developed to improve road connectivity and rural development in the Kalyana Karnataka region, he said. Under this, the state government will build 1,150 km of roads in rural Assembly constituencies at a cost of Rs 10 billion. The government is ready to provide all necessary support to establish an AIIMS institute in Raichur. "We urge the Central government to take immediate steps to start AIIMS here," Siddaramaiah said. For 2024-25, the State government aims to generate 4.85 crore person-days of work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in the seven districts of this region. So far, 343 million person-days have been generated, providing employment to 13.69 lakh people. To develop tourism in the famous Anjanadri Hill and surrounding areas of Koppal district, Rs 1 billion will be provided, the chief minister said. "In Ballari, we will organise unorganised jeans industries and develop a Jeans Apparel Park and Common Facility Centre to upgrade them to world-class standards," Siddaramaiah said. In the 2024-25 budget, the government has allocated Rs 50 billion to the Kalyana Karnataka Development Board This amount has been approved for development projects in the region, and we expect a new phase of progress," the chief minister said.