Demand for Kittur Karnataka Development Board grows louder

Demand for Kittur Karnataka Development Board grows louder

Why in news :

• Petition with signatures of MLAs from Kittur Karnataka region seeking creation of a separate development board for the region during the Winter Session of the State legislature in Belagavi.

About

• Key Demand: Legislators have petitioned for the formation of a Kittur Karnataka Development Board accompanied by an annual grant of ₹5,000 crore to facilitate comprehensive development.
• Region Scope: The proposed board covers the Kittur Karnataka region (formerly Bombay Karnataka), comprising seven districts: Dharwad, Belagavi, Gadag, Haveri, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, and Uttara Kannada.
• Legislative Support: A petition was submitted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with signatures from MLAs representing 56 Assembly constituencies in the region (excluding eight Ministers).
• Rationale: The demand highlights that the region lags in economic and human development indices, requiring a significant boost in industrial development and infrastructure to bridge the gap with other areas.
• Economic Disparity: As per the Economic Survey of Karnataka (2024-25), the per capita income of the Belagavi division is ₹2,00,457, significantly lower than the Bengaluru region (₹5,01,383) and Mysuru region (₹3,59,177).
• Political Context: This demand intensified after the State government passed a resolution seeking a matching grant for the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) from the Centre, based on the Vidarbha Model.