<p>Just months into its work, the high-powered Committee to address regional imbalances - whose report will determine the development of the state’s backward regions - has suffered a setback with a senior member resigning apparently due to internal disagreements.</p><p>Retired professor Vasudev Sedam, who represented the Kalyana Karnataka region in the four-member committee headed by economist M Govinda Rao, has stepped down.</p><p>Prof Sedam declined to comment. The committee’s member-secretary Dr R Vishal said Prof Sedam resigned citing health reasons. </p><p>“He is a cardiac patient and his health is not very well. He would have to come for meetings and do field visits as well. He requested us to exempt him. He has submitted his resignation and we have processed it but it hasn’t been accepted yet,” Vishal added.</p><p>According to one source, logistics were also a consideration as Prof Sedam found it difficult to travel from Kalaburagi to Bengaluru at short notice.</p>.<p><strong>Differences?</strong></p><p>However, multiple sources told <em>DH</em> that there were differences between Prof Rao and Prof Sedam and that their equations were not always smooth. </p><p>It is said that Prof Sedam and Prof Rao had differences over procedural aspects of the committee’s functioning, specifically work allocation.</p><p>Speaking to <em>DH</em>, Prof Rao claimed that he was unaware of the development as it was an “administrative” matter. However, he added: “I have not had any dispute with any member.”</p>.<p><strong>Perennial backwardness</strong></p><p>Prof Rao’s panel is the successor of the DM Nanjundappa Committee, whose 2002 report identified 114 backward taluks, including 39 “most backward” taluks. Of them, 26 were in the North Karnataka region. </p><p>Based on Nanjundappa’s indicators, successive governments spent around Rs 32,000 crore on developing backward regions. However, these regions continue to remain backward to this day.</p><p>Chief Minister Siddaramaiah formed Prof Rao’s committee to have a fresh look at the problems and redesign the Comprehensive Composite Development Index (CCDI). The committee, which started its work in September 2024, is expected to submit its report by September this year. </p><p><strong>Replacement soon</strong></p><p>According to sources, the government will soon find a replacement for Prof Sedam from the Kalyana Karnataka region.</p><p>The remaining three members of the committee - Prof Rao, Prof S T Bagalkot and Prof M H Suryanarayana - are scheduled to visit Kalaburagi on January 30 and 31, where they will meet MLAs and MLCs of Kalaburagi district and officials of all the seven Kalyana Karnataka districts.</p>
<p>Just months into its work, the high-powered Committee to address regional imbalances - whose report will determine the development of the state’s backward regions - has suffered a setback with a senior member resigning apparently due to internal disagreements.</p><p>Retired professor Vasudev Sedam, who represented the Kalyana Karnataka region in the four-member committee headed by economist M Govinda Rao, has stepped down.</p><p>Prof Sedam declined to comment. The committee’s member-secretary Dr R Vishal said Prof Sedam resigned citing health reasons. </p><p>“He is a cardiac patient and his health is not very well. He would have to come for meetings and do field visits as well. He requested us to exempt him. He has submitted his resignation and we have processed it but it hasn’t been accepted yet,” Vishal added.</p><p>According to one source, logistics were also a consideration as Prof Sedam found it difficult to travel from Kalaburagi to Bengaluru at short notice.</p>.<p><strong>Differences?</strong></p><p>However, multiple sources told <em>DH</em> that there were differences between Prof Rao and Prof Sedam and that their equations were not always smooth. </p><p>It is said that Prof Sedam and Prof Rao had differences over procedural aspects of the committee’s functioning, specifically work allocation.</p><p>Speaking to <em>DH</em>, Prof Rao claimed that he was unaware of the development as it was an “administrative” matter. However, he added: “I have not had any dispute with any member.”</p>.<p><strong>Perennial backwardness</strong></p><p>Prof Rao’s panel is the successor of the DM Nanjundappa Committee, whose 2002 report identified 114 backward taluks, including 39 “most backward” taluks. Of them, 26 were in the North Karnataka region. </p><p>Based on Nanjundappa’s indicators, successive governments spent around Rs 32,000 crore on developing backward regions. However, these regions continue to remain backward to this day.</p><p>Chief Minister Siddaramaiah formed Prof Rao’s committee to have a fresh look at the problems and redesign the Comprehensive Composite Development Index (CCDI). The committee, which started its work in September 2024, is expected to submit its report by September this year. </p><p><strong>Replacement soon</strong></p><p>According to sources, the government will soon find a replacement for Prof Sedam from the Kalyana Karnataka region.</p><p>The remaining three members of the committee - Prof Rao, Prof S T Bagalkot and Prof M H Suryanarayana - are scheduled to visit Kalaburagi on January 30 and 31, where they will meet MLAs and MLCs of Kalaburagi district and officials of all the seven Kalyana Karnataka districts.</p>