BENGALURU: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar today said Rs 1 lakh would be allocated for each taluk to celebrate Kempe Gowda Jayanthi.
Speaking to reporters after a preparatory meeting on Kempe Gowda Jayanthi celebrations in Vidhana Soudha, he said, “Each taluk will be given Rs 1 lakh to celebrate Kempe Gowda Jayanthi. Each Assembly constituency would be allocated Rs 1 lakh to conduct symposiums on Kempe Gowda for school students.”
“Rs 20,000 for cultural activities and Rs 20,000 for taluk centres is given. An additional amount of Rs 1 lakh would be given to each taluk. An amount of Rs 50,000 was given to district headquarters to conduct Kempe Gowda Jayanthi, we are thinking of increasing that amount,” he said.
“It has been decided to conduct the 515th Jayanthi of Kempe Gowda either in Palace Grounds or another venue on June 27. Like every year, a parade of torch lights would come from all directions of Bengaluru including Huliyurudurga, Magadi, Avathi, etc,” he said.
He said a selection committee under the leadership of B L Shankar has been formed to select achievers for the Kempe Gowda Award. The Kempe Gowda awards would be given collectively by the Kannada and Culture Department, BDA and BBMP.
“We have prepared a report to develop Kempe Gowda’s tomb and fort. It will be developed as a tourist spot. Ten acres have been allotted to develop Kempe Gowda’s birthplace in Devanahalli. A land of 5 acres has been sanctioned near Summanahalli to set up the office of Kempe Gowda Authority. Groundbreaking ceremony for the office would be done on the Jayanthi itself,” he said.
“Kempe Gowda should not be limited to a particular community and his Jayanthi must be celebrated in a secular way across communities. We don’t want this Jayanthi to be a government function but a people’s function. Basava Jayanthi is being celebrated by Lingayats and Ambedkar Jayanthi is being done by scheduled castes and tribes. Kempe Gowda Jayanthi must be celebrated across communities. About 100 suggestions have come to us, we will evaluate them and take them forward,” he said.
He also took a dig over the previous BJP government and said that the statue of Kempe Gowda was inaugurated in a hurry by the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi).
“People from across the country have become fans of Bengaluru’s weather, culture and educational institutions. Vikasa Soudha and Udyoga Soudha were built during SM Krishna’s time, but after that Bengaluru has been lagging in tourism development. We need to explore newer ways. The previous government had erected a statue of Kempe Gowda near the airport but the works around were not completed as it was inaugurated by the Prime Minister in a hurry. Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda and District In-charge Minister KH Muniyappa will be overseeing development works around the Kempe Gowda statue near airport,” he added. (ANI)