The State government should develop Kalaburagi, the divisional headquarters of Kalyana Karnataka, as the State’s regional second capital and a second administrative centre, former Zilla Panchayat president Deepaknag Punneshetty said.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Mr. Punneshetty said decentralisation of administrative activities was essential for the overall development of the Kalyana Karnataka region.
“Developing Kalaburagi district as a major administrative centre after Bengaluru would make various government services more accessible to people in Kalyana Karnataka region,” he said.
Urging the State government to name major government institutions, buildings and public infrastructure in the region after senior leaders who had contributed to the development of Kalyana Karnataka in areas such as education, employment, irrigation, healthcare, social justice and public service, Mr. Punneshetty suggested considering the names of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, former Chief Ministers late N. Dharam Singh and late Veerendra Patil and former national president of the Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha late Dr. Bheemanna Khandre for such institutions and infrastructure.
‘Kalyana Karnataka Praja Seva Soudha’ sought
Mr. Punneshetty urged the government to establish a ‘Kalyana Karnataka Praja Seva Soudha’ in Kalaburagi on the lines of Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru and Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi. He also called for the State Legislature’s monsoon session to be held in Kalaburagi every year.
Holding the session in the region would ensure greater discussion in the Legislature on the problems, development needs and demands of people in Kalyana Karnataka, he said.
Welcome ‘Nava Kalyana Karnataka’ initiatives
Mr. Punneshetty welcomed the 10 major development missions announced by the State government under the ‘Nava Kalyana Karnataka’ initiative during the 79th Kalyana Karnataka Utsav held in Kalaburagi on September 17. The initiatives include the Kalyana Karnataka Economy Mission, Bio-Economy Mission, Anaemia-free Kalyana Karnataka campaign, Kalaburagi district infrastructure development, provision of 50,000 sites for families without house sites, an IT Park, an AI-based CCTV network, development of tourism and heritage sites, and the 10-crore tree plantation campaign, among others.
These initiatives have the potential to support development in the economic, agricultural, healthcare, urban infrastructure, housing, and environmental sectors, he said, urging the government to ensure their effective and time-bound implementation to accelerate the overall development of Kalyana Karnataka region.
Published – September 28, 2026 11:35 pm IST
