He was delivering a special lecture as part of the mass awareness programme at the Government Industrial Training Institute organised jointly by the HKCCI and Hyderabad Karnataka Praja Samithi here.

Article 371
Nigudgi pointed out that the Union government had extended the benefit of Article 371 to the states of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh for the removal of regional imbalance in Marathwada region and Telengana area respectively.

Although Hyderabad Karnataka region, along with Marathwada and Telengana, was part of the erstwhile Hyderabad state of the Nizam, the Union government did not consider it fit to extend the same benefit to Karnataka.

Nigudgi said the utter negligence of Hyderabad Karnataka region had only helped in escalating the backwardness of people of the area.

Gulbarga University Syndicate member Ramesh Navale called upon youth of the region to fight for the development of Hyderabad-Karnataka. Due to the neglect of the region frustration among people was increasing with each passing day, he added. ITI Principal Ravindra Baali presided over the function.

N-K neglected
Another awareness function was held at KBN Engineering College, in which Sangeeta Kattimani felt that of south Karnataka had prospered at the cost of north Karnataka in general and Hyderabad Karnataka region in particular.