Karnataka Cabinet Nod To Vijayanagara As 31st District

The Karnataka cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to form Vijayanagara as the 31st district in the state. The district which will be carved out of Ballari district.

"After informal discussions, we have taken a decision for the creation of Vijayanagara district. All the details in this regard will be shared after the next cabinet meeting," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister JC Madhuswamy said.

Forest Minister Anand Singh who is the brain behind the campaign for Vijayanagara to be made into a separate district, said the demand for it was long due.

"It was an aspiration to have a separate district that included the then capital of a Hindu empire (Vijayanagara empire) Hampi. Today our Chief Minister and all the cabinet colleagues have discussed it seriously and have given approval to it. The dream of the people from western taluks of the Ballari district had been fulfilled, Anand Singh said. Singh is was one of the 17 legislators (14 Congress and three Janata Dal- S) who helped pull down the coalition government led by HD Kumaraswamy.

In the note written to the Chief Secretary in September last year, Yediyurappa had told the media, In most cases, farmers, daily wage labourers, and poor people have to travel long distances to reach the district headquarters in Ballari city. Hence, it would be appropriate to carve out a new district to ease the troubles of people besides bringing 'more efficiency' in administration.