Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah announces govt medical college for Vijayapura

Responding to 115 days of strike by the Vijayapura Government Medical College Agitation Committee, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Friday that the state government will drop the proposed PPP model and instead establish the government medical college soon.

He was speaking after unveiling the statue of Kittur Rani Channamma and inaugurating a velodrome at Bhutanal and a series of development works worth Rs 870 crore.

Siddaramaiah said, “The indefinite protest opposing setting up medical college on PPP model, has come to my notice. There is no need to continue the protest as we have decided to drop the proposal to establish the medical college in Vijayapura on PPP model. It was a project formulated by the BJP government. 

The government medical colleges are already functioning in 22 districts. In the remaining districts, including Vijayapura, the government will set up medical colleges, superspeciality hospitals and trauma centres,” he said.

The agitation committee urged the CM to release the protesters and drop cases against 27 of them.

The chief minister assured Bijapur City MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal of providing a grant of Rs 160 crore for the construction of a flyover from Kanakadasa Circle to Shivaji Circle in the city.

Industries Minister M B Patil presented a silver statue of Basavanna to Siddaramaiah, who eclipsed D Devaraj Urs’ record of ‘longest serving CM’, last Tuesday.

The minister also offered ladoo specially prepared at his home to the CM.

Addressing the gathering, Siddaramaiah said, “I have surpassed the late Devaraj Urs’ record. He was CM for about 7 years and 239 days. I equalled it on January 6. This has been possible because of the blessings of the people and the Congress high command. Because of their support, I have been able to serve as CM twice and also become the longest-serving CM. I thank the people of the state for this.”