Karnataka BJP President Pralhad Joshi on a sticky wicket over IIT location

KALABURAGI: State BJP President Pralhad Joshi was on Thursday put in a piquant situation over the location of the proposed Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in the State and the neglect of Hyderabad-Karnataka region by the one-year-old Narendra Modi government.

At a media conference convened to highlight the achievements of the Modi government in the past one year, Mr Joshi came under fire for proposing Dharwad for locating the IIT when the Nanjundappa Committee had already recommended Raichur.

A cornered Joshi tried to wriggle out saying, “ I proposed Dharwad as I represent the Lok Sabha constituency. Secondly Mysuru was also proposed. However I’m of the view that backwardness should be considered while establishing the IIT. I’m for the IIT anywhere in north Karnataka”.

The BJP chief also faced uncomfortable questions over the lackadaisical approach adopted by the Modi government towards major projects sanctioned for Hyderabad-Karnataka region by Mr Mallikarjun Kharge when he was Union Minister such as the ESIC Hospital, railway division office at Kalaburagi and railway coach factory at Yadgir.

"In the case of the ESIC hospital, the question remains who has to run it and how. It will be resolved soon. As for the railway division, you tolerated the Congress for 60 years, bear with us for a few more months. Our party is committed to establishing the railway division office at Kalaburagi. We will convince the railway minister in this regard”, Mr Joshi stated.