23 taluks of North Karnataka listed as 'most backward' since 2002 report

In a strong indication of the continuing backwardness of North Karnataka, a large majority of the taluks identified as ‘most backward’ by the Nanjundappa committee in 2002, continued to be identified in the same category by the M Govinda Rao committee in 2026. 

According to the report by the Govinda Rao-led Karnataka Regional Imbalances Redressal Committee, which was placed in both Houses of the Legislature on Wednesday, of the 39 ‘most backward’ taluks as per the Nanjundappa committee report, 23 have been categorised as ‘most backward,’ six as ‘more backward’ and 10 as ‘backward’ by the Govinda Rao-led committee too. All these 23 taluks are in North Karnataka.

Though both the committees followed different conceptual frameworks and methodologies, the figures indicate that even amongst the previously ‘most backward’ taluks, all the ones in the southern region improved, while a majority of the North Karnataka taluks continue to struggle.

While the Nanjundappa Committee found that 114 of the then 175 taluks belonged to the ‘most backward,’ ‘more backward’ and ‘backward’ categories, the Govinda Rao report found that 177 of the total 236 taluks were in the ‘most backward,’ ‘more backward’ and ‘backward’ categories.

The North Karnataka region includes the Kalaburagi and Belagavi revenue divisions.

The 23 taluks that have remained in the most backward category are Aurad, Humnabad and Bhalki (Bidar), Chincholi, Chittapur, Aland, Afzalpur, Jewargi and Sedam (Kalaburagi), Shorapur, Yadgir and Shahapur (Yadgir), Devadurga, Lingasugur, Manvi and Sindhanur (Raichur), Yelburga and Kushtagi (Koppal), Harapanahalli and Kudligi (Vijayanagar) and Indi, Sindagi and Basavana Bagewadi (Vijayapura).

Of these 23 ‘most backward’ taluks, 20 are in the Kalyana Karnataka region itself — widely considered Karnataka’s most backward region, while the other three taluks are in Kittur Karnataka region.

The Nanjundappa committee had found that 27 of the most backward taluks were in the North Karnataka region (actually 26, but Harapanahalli, which was earlier in Davangere district, is now part of Vijayanagar district of Kalyana Karnataka region.

Thus, the effective number is 27). Of these, Basavakalyana (Bidar), Bilagi (Bagalkot) and Muddebihal (Vijayapura) have moved to ‘more backward’ category, while Sandur has gone up by two places to ‘backward’ category. 

Southern taluks improve

All 12 of the taluks in Bengaluru and Mysuru revenue division that were considered ‘most backward’ by Nanjundappa committee have improved.

While Bagepalli (Chikkaballapur), Channagiri (Davangere) and H D Kote (Mysuru) progressed to ‘more backward’ category, Magadi and Kanakapura (Bengaluru South), Madhugiri, Kunigal, Pavagada, Sira and Gubbi (Tumakuru) and Chamarajanagar (Chamarajanagar) progressed to ‘backward’ category.

Of the overall Rs 12,977.97 crore spent on the development of the most backward taluks as per the special development plan (SDP) from 2007-08 to 2023-24, as much as Rs 9,723.88 crore (74.92%) were spent on North Karnataka region alone.