Shivakumar to Send Report on Ministers Not Cooperating in Land Allocation for Party Offices

Kudligi: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday said that a report will soon be sent to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) regarding legislators and ministers who have not extended cooperation in providing land for the construction of party offices across Karnataka.

He was speaking on Sunday at the inauguration of a project to fill 74 lakes in Kudligi constituency, Vijayanagara district, with water from the Tungabhadra River, along with the launch of several development works and distribution of welfare benefits.

“As it marks 100 years since Mahatma Gandhi took charge as the President of the Indian National Congress, the party has decided to construct 100 Congress offices across Karnataka. Several MLAs and ministers have extended their cooperation by providing land for this purpose, while a few have not. The AICC has sought a report on this matter, and it will soon be sent to Delhi,” Shivakumar said.

“In Ballari city, legislators have voluntarily provided land free of cost for the construction of a Congress office. MLAs Nagendra, Latha from Harapanahalli, Parameshwar Naik, and Siraj Sheikh have also donated land in their respective constituencies. BM Nagaraju has given his own land to the party. All legislators from this district have extended full cooperation,” he lauded.

He said that in the coming days, foundation stones for the new Congress offices will be laid across the State, and the effort must continue with the active participation of all MLAs and ministers. He urged everyone to contribute in whatever way possible through body, mind, and wealth adding that donations ranging from one rupee to one crore are welcome to support the construction of Congress offices.

Shivakumar criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for criticizing the guarantee schemes introduced by the Congress government in Karnataka and now states like Haryana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar copying these very same schemes.

“The guarantee schemes of the Congress government in Karnataka have become a model for the entire nation. Other parties have now started thinking about people’s welfare. The people of Karnataka are being served by a good and responsive government. In the future, we will provide even better governance. The Congress party will return to power in the State in 2028 and continue to serve the people,” he declared.

“The five guarantee schemes of the Congress government have set an example for the whole country. Now, we are adding land ownership as the sixth guarantee and water for farmers as the seventh,” Shivakumar said.

“More than Rs 800 crore has already been spent on the project to fill these lakes. The annual electricity cost alone for pumping water to all the lakes will be around Rs 80 lakh. The government can bear this cost for a year or two, but to make the project sustainable, I have instructed that all these lakes be auctioned for fisheries. The revenue generated will help offset maintenance expenses and benefit farmers,” he explained.