Home Minister requests construction of ‘welcome arch’ on Tumakuru highway

BENGALURU: Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday said that he has requested Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari to give permission for the construction of a ‘welcome arch’ on the National Highway in Tumakuru.

Speaking to reporters at his Sadashivanagar residence, the Tumakuru district in-charge minister said that Rs 5 crore has been provided under the Smart City project to build the Welcome arch on the National Highway in Tumakuru.

“Union Minister V Somanna is the MP of our district. I have requested Union Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari through V Somanna and asked him to give permission. If permission is given, we will build a welcome arch at the entry of Tumakuru”, Parameshwara said.

Parameshwara further added that many central projects need to be implemented in the district. “Many projects related to drinking water come under the purview of the central government. Our taluk is included in this, and I have discussed it with them”, he said.

He further said, “Since Tumakuru city is next to the national highway, no one will know while traveling. If a welcome arch is built, it will be known”. According to Parameshwara, Union Minister Somanna will “speak after seeing what the state government’s decisions will be regarding the metro project”, for Tumakuru.

Parameshwara stressed on Tumakuru’s growth and said that the district should be expanded. “We have made an industrial hub on 20 thousand acres. Many people are asking that Tumakuru should be expanded. A study is under way on this. Tumakuru is 70 km from Bengaluru. It will be beneficial in terms of development if it is included in the Greater Bengaluru area. We will also submit a proposal”, he said.

Suhas Shetty was brutally murdered by a gang in Mangaluru.

Speaking on the Suhas Shetty murder case, Parameshwara said, “Officials have told me that a letter has been received from the Union Home Department regarding the Suhas Shetty murder case. We will discuss this with the officials and take a decision. People from that area were talking about handing over the case to the NIA for investigation. Someone may have requested it. MPs and MLAs may have said so”.

Shetty, a prominent right-wing youth leader associated with the Bajrang Dal in Karnataka’s coastal belt, was brutally murdered last month in Sullia town of Dakshina Kannada district. The activist, in his early 30s, was attacked by unidentified assailants while returning home late at night. He succumbed to his injuries on the spot.

The incident triggered widespread protests in the region, with local Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) units alleging a targeted killing.

While speaking on the tragic stampede that occurred during the IPL victory celebration event of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Bengaluru, Parameshwara called the June 4 incident “unfortunate” and said that an investigation is underway and the report will soon be submitted.

“I will not speak about the stampede incident. We have entrusted this case to the one-man commission of retired judge Michael D Cunha. He will investigate and submit a report. If we give a statement, it will have a different impact. If we are asked during the investigation, we will tell. If we give a statement now, the direction of the investigation will go in a different direction,” he remarked. (ANI)