Yelahanka will be upgraded to a taluk shortly as per an assurance extended by Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar here on Thursday. A similar assurance has been extended to Kittur in Bailhongal taluk of Belgaum district.
He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for a commercial complex, multiplex and mini Vidhana Soudha in Yelahanka.
Responding to Yelahanka MLA S.R. Vishwanath’s demand to declare Yelahanka a taluk, the Chief Minister said that he will discuss the issue with the Finance Department. “We need at least Rs. 18 crore as administrative expenses for the formation of a taluk. But it is essential for decentralisation of administration and I am in favour of it,” he said.
Mr. Vishwanath said that Yelahanka is divided between Bangalore North taluk and Bangalore North Additional taluk and 17 revenue offices of 17 Assembly constituencies and 73 Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) wards are in the jurisdiction of Yelahanka. “We request you to carve out a Yelahanka taluk comprising the areas in the adjoining Bangalore North taluk and the Bangalore North Additional taluk given the better revenue generation,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that there are similar demands from people and elected representatives of 40 other places. “My tenure will end in the next seven months and I assure you we will consider this issue before that,” he added.
Housing Minister V. Somanna said that the construction of the mini Vidhana Soudha, commercial complex and multiplex will be taken up by the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) at a total cost of Rs. 73 crore.
The mini Vidhana Soudha will accommodate the offices of the Sub-Registrar, Treasury Department, Revenue Department and the taluk panchayat.
Every floor of the three-storeyed building will have halls for conferences and meetings. The six-storeyed commercial complex and multiplex will have parking space for 174 cars and four auditoria. It is being built at a cost of Rs. 65 crore and work will be completed within 18 months.
