Karnataka Cabinet clears 438 'Namma Clinics' in urban areas

They are being set up to control contagious diseases and ease the load on existing hospitals

The Karnataka Cabinet on Friday approved the setting up of 438 'Namma Clinics' in urban areas, including Bengaluru, at a cost of Rs 103 crore.

Briefing reporters, Law Minister J C Madhuswamy said these urban primary health centres will help control contagious diseases and reduce the load on existing hospitals.

“These clinics will be funded under the 15th Finance Commission,” the minister said. “We will need 438 medical officers, nurses and second division clerks. They will be recruited on a temporary basis.”

The ‘Namma Clinics’ will have a recurring expenditure of Rs 36.45 lakh in Bengaluru and Rs 34.46 lakh elsewhere. “The clinics will be established in every urban local body and every ward of Bengaluru,” he said.

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Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had announced the establishment of ‘Namma Clinics’, an emulation of Delhi’s Mohalla Clinics, in the 2022-23 Budget.

In other decisions, the Cabinet granted administrative approval to spend a total of Rs 258 crore on constructing new court buildings in Chikkodi (Rs 32 crore), Mudigere (Rs 11 crore), Chikmagalur city (Rs 28 crore), Kolar (Rs 25 crore), Srinivaspura (Rs 15 crore) and Ballari (Rs 121.90 crore). “The Cabinet discussed why the cost is so high at Ballari. We had earlier given Rs 87 crore, but revised estimates came up for another Rs 34 crore. We can’t stop ongoing work,” Madhuswamy said.

The Cabinet decided to permit the state-owned Hutti Gold Mines Company Ltd to use Rs 307 crore from its own resources to create deep access into a gold deposit. “There's one ore where we haven’t been able to mine,” Madhuswamy said.

For the Pandavapura Sugar Factory in Mandya, the Cabinet allowed the government to pay stamp duty of Rs 24.3 crore to execute a lease agreement with Nirani Sugars, which has been tasked with operating the unit. Nirani Sugars, which is linked to Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani’s family, has to pay the government back in ten years.

Also, the Cabinet approved an extra Rs 65.5 crore expenditure on the Shivamogga airport for “additional facilities”, Madhuswamy said. “The Cabinet had previously approved Rs 384 crore,” he said.

Monsoon session

The Cabinet decided not to convene the Monsoon session of the legislature this month. "We're thinking of convening the session next month," Madhuswamy said.

Rs 2,000 allowance for pourakarmikas

The Cabinet approved Friday a monthly hardship allowance of Rs 2,000 to all pourakarmikas. Law Minister J C Madhuswamy said this decision had nothing to do with the pourakarmikas' protest. "This was a budget promise," he said.