Karnataka to work towards $1.25 trillion economy: CM

Vowing to contribute a large share in India's growth story, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Monday that Karnataka will work towards becoming a $1.25 trillion economy.

"It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream to turn India into a $5 trillion economy. It is our dream to make Karnataka $1.25 trillion economy," Bommai said at the Kommaghatta event where Modi inaugurated several developmental projects.

The projects inaugurated and to which foundation stones were laid will help raise Karnataka's GDP by two percentage points, Bommai said.

"The suburban rail project was ignored for several years. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the green signal. This will connect four parts of Bengaluru," Bommai said.

Listing out the contributions of the central government to the state, Bommai said that Karnataka is following Modi's development guidelines.

Also read: Congress fuelling protests against Agnipath, says Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai

"A politician has an eye on the next election. But a statesman has an eye on the next generation. Here, we have a statesman of a lifetime who is working to improve the next generation," the chief minister said, lauding Modi.

'Full support to Basavaraj govt'

PM Modi said his government will work "shoulder-to-shoulder" with Karnataka. "For our Karnataka to move forward speedily under Basavaraj's leadership, the Government of India is standing with you to work shoulder-to-shoulder," he said. At least on two occasions, Modi addressed the CM as simply Basavaraj without uttering his surname Bommai. Modi began his address in Kannada to loud cheers from the crowd.

"The double engine government has given you an assurance of rapid development in Karnataka," he said.

Citing the example of the Nelamangala-Tumakuru stretch, which is being upgraded to six lanes, Modi said that this would reduce traffic density and help economic activity in the industry-dense region.

Modi also remotely inaugurated the Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal at Baiyappanahalli (SMVB). "I'm told that people visit this station as if it is a tourist destination to click selfies. This is Karnataka's first and country's third modern railway station," he said.

PM meets Naveen's family

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met the parents and brother of Naveen Gyanagoudar, a medical student who was killed during Russian shelling at Kharkiv in the war-hit Ukraine. Naveens' father Shekargouda, mother Vijayalakshmi and his brother Harsha met the PM on the sidelines of a public event at Kommaghatta. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was also present. Naveen hailed from Chalageri in Haveri and Bommai knows the family personally.