Verbal duel, protests mar HDK's Grama Vastavya 2.0

Exchange of words between Sharanagouda, son of Gurmitkal JD(S) MLA Naganagouda Kandakur and Mines and Geology Minister Rajashekar Patil during the inaugural function, protests by the BJP leaders and Raitha Sangha, the chief minister announcing sops galore for Yadgir district marked H D Kumaraswamy’s Grama Vastavya 2.0 at Chandarki village on Friday.

Kumaraswamy’s pet village stay programme got off to an uneasy start with Sharanagouda taking exception to District In-charge Minister Rajashekar Patil delivering introduction speech.

The JD(S) youth wing leader created a commotion on the stage for not allowing his MLA-father to do the honours. He forced his father to leave the stage. Not amused by the developments, Patil cut short his speech and returned to his seat. Ministers Priyank Kharge and Bandeppa Kashempur pacified miffed Nagangouda and succeeded in bringing truce between the warring parties.

Sources said, ahead of the inaugural function, Kumaraswamy had taken the district minister to task over interfering in the works taken up in Gurmitkal constituency, at the circuit house in Yadgir.

Congress ministers Rajashekar Patil and Priyank Kharge left the venue in a hurry. They skipped the Janata Darshan programme, which looked like a JD(S) function.

The chief minister, while addressing the inaugural ceremony, announced a slew of works and projects, including the upgrading of 100-bed Yadgir district hospital to a 300-bed facility.

Kumaraswamy said, “The elected representatives had appealed to release grant for the medical college in Yadgir. About Rs 600 crore is required to provide facilities to the college. There is no point in spending such huge sums as it will benefit outsiders more than the local students. Hence, I have decided to upgrade the 100-bed district hospital to a 300-bed facility. All facilities, including the Intensive Care Unit, will be provided at the hospital. An order has been issued in this regard a few hours ago,” he explained.

He also announced the implementation of Jaladare project, to supply drinking water to all villages under four Assembly constituencies in the district, at a cost of Rs Rs 1,000 crore

Over 4,000 applications were received from the people, between 12 noon and 7.30 pm. Hundreds of people were still waiting for their turn in the serpentine queue. The applications have been sorted out department-wise and the officials were instructed to dispose of the applications on a priority basis.

The chief minister, along with a few JD(S) leaders and legislators, will stay overnight at the refurbished government school at the village.