Karnataka CM Bommai announces Rs 5 crore for Allama's birthplace

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that the state government would release Rs 5 crore for the development of Balligavi, the birthplace of Allama Prabhu, the first President of Anubhava Mantapa and Vachana poet of the 12th century.

Speaking after unveiling the statue of Akka Mahadevi, one of the early female poets in Vachana Kannada literature of the 12th century and irrigation projects at Udutadi, the birthplace of Akka Mahadevi, in the taluk on Friday, he said Allama Prabhu is one of the great vachana poets in Kannada. Hence, Basavanna made him the first president of Anubhava Mantapa. "As per the wish of former chief minister B S Yediyurappa, I would release Rs five crore for the development of Balligavi, the birthplace of Allama."

He also announced that the higher education department would release Rs 10 crore for the construction of the State Akka Mahadevi Women's University Postgraduate Centre at Udutadi in the taluk. He would also release Rs 10 crore for the development of Shivana Pada, in keeping with the wishes of Yediyurappa and Taralabalu Brihanmutt Pointiff Shivamurthy Shivacharya.

Terming Yediyurappa as the leader of the people, he said apart from the former chief minister, the late Ramakrishna Hegde, it is Yediyurappa who groomed leaders in the state. There is no retirement from politics for Yediyurappa. "We will continue to get his guidance and service in the future. The current politics needs experienced politicians like Yediyurappa."

Recalling the past, he said, 40 years ago, Yediyurappa had struggled for the welfare of farmers and people of the state. He had taken out padayatra, bicycle jatha for the party which had no base at all. He had fought without having any aspiration of becoming a legislator or chief minister. It was a testing time for him. courage is the secret of his success. He had the courage to fight against all odds.

Bommai also stated that Yediyurappa deserves credit for linking Shikaripur with Basava Kalyana in Bidar district as he turned Udutadi, the birthplace of Akka, into a tourism centre and had released Rs 600 crore for the set up of modern Anubhava Mantapa in Bidar district, where Akka and Allama Prabhu and many sharanas shared their thoughts.

He also stated that Shikaripur is the birthplace of many Sharanas. "They sowed the seeds of Sharana culture and Kayaka ideals. Yediyurappa conveyed messages of Akka to people by developing Udutadi. The people of Shikaripur taluk are lucky to get such a leader. Many chief ministers have implemented development works. But, Yediyurappa stands out from them as he carried on the social revolution of the 12th century by releasing funds for mutts of various communities. Yediyurappa had released a grant of Rs 45 crore for the development of Kaginele in the Haveri district and formed the Kaginele Development Authority to protect all the monuments and documents related to Kanaka Dasa during his tenure as chief minister. Valmiki Jayanti was declared when he was the chief minister. In this way, Yediyurappa became a social reformer in a true sense. The BJP leader does not hate anyone."

BJP Parliamentary Board member and former chief minister B S Yediyurappa, Water Resources Minister Govind Karjol, Urban Development Minister B A Basavaraj, MLA Kumar Bangarappa, MLCs S Rudre Gouda, Bharathi Shetty, MP B Y Raghavendra, State BJP Vice-President B Y Vijayendra, former minister Lelaladevi R Prasad and others were present at the occasion.

Bommai sought people's support for Vijayendra in Shikaripur.

Even before the announcement of candidates for the forthcoming assembly polls, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai asked voters of the Shikaripur assembly constituency to back State BJP Vice-President B Y Vijayendra as they did for B S Yediyurappa over the last 40 years. So, it was clear that Vijayendra would be the nominee of the BJP from Shikaripur.