Bifurcate Tumakuru district: Parameshwara requests BSY

Former deputy chief minister G Parameshwara of the Congress on Monday sought the creation of Madhugiri as a new district from Tumakuru.

This demand comes even as Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa is under pressure to carve out a Vijayanagar district from Ballari.

In a letter to the chief minister, Parameshwara has highlighted that Madhugiri taluk had a large geographical area and housed the sub-divisional offices of public works department, zilla panchayat, DySP and other departments.

“It is a hub for the sale of agricultural and commercial goods produced in the nearby Pavagada, Koratagere and Sira taluks. Madhugiri is eligible to be declared a district in all aspects and it has been the long-standing demand of locals,” Parameshwara argued.

Parameshwara, who represents the Koratagere constituency in Tumakuru district, suggested that the proposed Madhugiri district can comprise Madhugiri, Pavagada, Koratagere and Sira as revenue taluks.

Parameshwara’s demand comes days after disqualified Vijayanagar MLA Anand Singh and others petitioned Yediyurappa for Vijayanagara to be carved out as a new district from Ballari. BJP legislators from Ballari are up in arms over this idea.

Even Health Minister B Sreeramulu, who earlier represented Ballari in the Lok Sabha, has voiced his opposition against the proposal.